The Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in a messy quarterback cycle.

If Aaron Rodgers comes back for the 2026 NFL season, it just delays the problem by a year. They don’t have a future franchise QB on the roster unless you’re a really, really big believer in Will Howard.

They also don’t have a ton of paths this offseason to acquiring one, unless a draft pick hits in an unexpected way, or unless a Malik Willis free agent signing turns out to be a home run.

What about a trade? ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote in a new article Monday that the Steelers could instead take that path.

He suggests Pittsburgh could trade two third-round picks to the Philadelphia Eagles to acquire their backup QB, Tanner McKee.

McKee, a tall passer out of Stanford, has made just a couple of starts in place of Jalen Hurts over the past two seasons, but he has generally looked polished when called upon.

He wouldn’t be a guaranteed solution, but he’d at least be Pittsburgh taking a chance to find the right guy.

“The 6-foot-6 McKee might impress if given more of an opportunity to start, although he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal,” Barnwell writes. “The Steelers might consider bringing back Rodgers, trading for McKee and then signing the inexperienced 25-year-old to a short-term extension. For a team that is never in position to draft a quarterback in the top 10, taking a shot on someone like McKee is an alternative the Steelers need to consider.”

It’s definitely a logical idea.

The Eagles have traded away backup quarterbacks before and would do so again here, knowing they need to replenish that position behind Hurts before the new season gets underway.

These in-state foes don’t trade a lot, but this deal could work out for both sides.