With Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza essentially locked in at No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, the next best QB in this NFL Draft class is Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
Simpson has been a buzzy name as of late, and he makes sense for teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are waiting on an Aaron Rodgers decision, and the Los Angeles Rams, who have Matthew Stafford for potentially his final NFL season.
Where Simpson lands in this draft remains to be seen, and he could go in Round 1 or fall out of the first day completely.
However, former NFL player Marcus Spears said the Steelers should draft Simpson even if Rodgers returns for another season.
“There’s a lot of glaring issues in Pittsburgh, but the one glaring issue that you cannot win without in this league, is high-level quarterback play,” Spears said during an episode of “NFL Live.”
Spears said they should select Simpson “regardless” if Rodgers is in town or not for the 2026 season.
"There's a lot of glaring issues in Pittsburgh, but the one glaring issue that you cannot win without in this league, is high-level quarterback play."@mspears96 thinks the Steelers should draft Ty Simpson regardless if Aaron Rodgers is there 👀 pic.twitter.com/AOYe18XK3y
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) April 7, 2026
Steelers owner Art Rooney II said he anticipates a decision from Rodgers before the NFL Draft, and Brooke Pryor added that the Steelers might select a QB if Rodgers doesn’t come back.
But, Spears says that Simpson should be the pick at No. 21 even if Rodgers comes back, especially with the only other signal-callers on the roster being Will Howard and Mason Rudolph.
At the end of March, Adam Schefter said that Simpson is “confidently” a first-round pick, but it might be a matter of which team takes the chance on the former Crimson Tide star.
The NFL Draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh, and Simpson’s name is one of the most polarizing to watch until the draft kicks off.
