Steelers, Raiders predicted to have interest in future trade for $230 million QB

Mike Moraitis

Steelers, Raiders predicted to have interest in future trade for $230 million QB image

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

If there's one thing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders have in common, it's a major question mark at quarterback beyond this season.

The Steelers signed 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers in the offseason, and while the returns in the first half of this season have been positive, there's no telling if Rodgers will play another year, as he's already hinted he could retire.

Pittsburgh did draft a quarterback, but Will Howard, a sixth-round pick, remains a total wild card and is unlikely to see the field in 2025, so it's tough to gauge where he is in his development and if he can take over in 2026.

In Las Vegas, the Raiders tried to avoid a rebuild and decided to bring Geno Smith in rather than drafting a signal-caller, but Smith has been an utter disaster this season and there is no long-term hope on the roster behind him.

Knowing all that, Bleacher Report's Moe Moton believes the Raiders and Steelers will have interest in trading for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who Moton believes could fetch "multiple future first-rounders" in a trade.

Murray, whose contract carries another year of guaranteed money, would be an ideal fit for a squad that needs a quarterback, but isn't in a position to draft a top prospect.

Ideal Landing Spot: Carolina Panthers

Other Potential Suitors: Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers

Murray has been dealing with a foot injury that landed him on injured reserve, and in that time many have wondered if the Cardinals were using the foot injury as an excuse to hide the fact they're benching the veteran signal-caller for Jacoby Brissett, who has actually provided an upgrade under center.

While we can't say for sure that's happening, it's fair to wonder if the Cardinals might be willing to part with Murray in 2026.

"The Cardinals are in last place in the ridiculously competitive NFC West in Year 3 of Gannon's tenure," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported this week. "But the growing sense around the league is that, even if they miss the playoffs and get to the end of the season without Murray proving he can be their QB of the future, the Cardinals are likely to give Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort a chance to stick around and pick their own QB (Murray was in place and signed long-term when they got there.)."

We would cancel the Raiders out of a possible pursuit of Murray, mostly because the expectation is they're going to stick with Smith for another season. We would also expect Las Vegas to draft a quarterback of the future early.

The Steelers are more likely to make this kind of move because they'll probably still be in win-now mode given the age of their roster and the franchise's overall reluctance to ever rebuild with Mike Tomlin at the helm.

Pittsburgh will likely be sitting somewhere in the middle of the first round or later in the draft, so the top quarterbacks will be out of reach. If Rodgers retires, you can bet your bottom dollar the Steelers will be looking for a veteran to start in his place, which puts a trade for Murray on the table.

However, the fact that Murray comes with a $230 million contract that runs through 2028, and given his struggles this season and lack of playoff success, we just don't see Arizona getting multiple first-round picks for Murray's services, and the Steelers should not pay that price, either.

If that's what Arizona is looking for and remains steadfast in getting it, there aren't going to be many, if any, teams interested in acquiring Murray.

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Contributing Writer