2026 NFL Draft Day 2: Drew Allar to Aaron Rodgers’ Pittsburgh Steelers and Carson Beck to Jacoby Brissett’s Arizona Cardinals

Two NFL teams gave crystal clear signals to their veteran quarterbacks on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft by picking future franchise signal-callers. This gives financial security and long-term solution to the teams, but the future of their veterans is now supposedly hanging in the balance. Aaron Rodgers did not commit to his return to the Pittsburgh Steelers before the draft. So instead of waiting for him, the Steelers went ahead and drafted Penn State Nittany Lions QB Drew Allar in the third round as their 76th overall. They did something they had not done in three consecutive drafts.

Drew Allar picked by Steelers may or may not mean Aaron Rodgers could return

The Steelers did something they had not done in three consecutive drafts! The last QB selected by Pittsburgh was in 2022: Kenny Pickett, their first-round, 20th overall pick. 2023 saw Pickett with Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. For 2024, they signed Russell Wilson for a one-year deal. Then, for 2025, they had Aaron Rodgers. Come 2026? They lost their long-time head coach, Mike Tomlin, and hired Mike McCarthy to wear his cap. McCarthy’s presence also did not assure Rodgers’ return, considering their vivid Super Bowl-winning background tale. What did they do for their 2026 chapter?

Penn State QB started as backup and missed 2025 season

Pittsburgh signed a quarterback for 2026 who started his football journey as a backup and even missed a season because of a season-ending ankle injury.

What are they doing? No clue. But it looks like Rodgers may return to the throne…and play alongside Drew Allar, Will Howard, and Mason Rudolph. All we have to do is wait till June, because that’s when he signed a one-year, $13M contract last year and gave the Steelers something they had not held for five straight years: the AFC North divisional title. So, there could be a glimmer of hope. Plus, several reports peg the former Nittany Lions QB as a potential long-term successor for Rodgers.

But if there’s no return of the veteran, then Allar may have to compete for the starting job with Rudolph and Howard. That was Pittsburgh. Now, the Arizona situation.

Carson Beck may compete with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew

Longtime QB Kyler Murray left for the Minnesota Vikings. Leaving Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew with the Cardinals. The last time a QB was drafted by Arizona was in 2019, and that was Murray. Because Murray could not be what they’d hoped for after five long seasons, they decided to hunt for a new franchise QB, and settled for Carson Beck. The Miami Hurricanes QB is loaded with college football success: two-time CFP national champion, one Second-team All-SEC selection, one Third-team All-ACC selection. He played five seasons for the Georgia Bulldogs and one season for the Hurricanes. There could not be a better QB prospect than him in the draft, of course, after Fernando Mendoza [Las Vegas Raiders’ first-round, No. 1 overall pick]. But Beck comes with his own long list of accolades and stats.

He recorded 3,813 passing yards and 30 touchdowns in 16 games in 2025. Anyhow, the picture in the Cardinals is that the backup QB for Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett, is looking to be a starter. And Gardner Minshew, who was a backup of

Patrick Mahomes

in the Kansas City Chiefs, may also be looking to be a starter. Both of them may have to compete with the 2026 draft pick for the starting job. Or maybe the Cardinals want to go with Carson Beck as their No. 1 quarterback? He looks prepared: “I know for sure that I’m going to step in there and try to take advantage of every opportunity I can and just put my best foot forward each and every day.”