Steelers pushing for future NFL Draft in Pittsburgh

“We have submitted our indication to the NFL office of the Steelers’ and city’s desire to host either the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.”

PITTSBURGH —
Could the NFL Draft be coming to Pittsburgh? The Steelers are hoping so. On Thursday, the team said it is pushing for the Steel City as a future site for the league’s annual draft.

“We have submitted our indication to the NFL office of the Steelers’ and city’s desire to host either the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh,” the team said in a statement. “We believe our city will be an excellent host to showcase the great history that connects Western Pennsylvania to the early roots of professional football and the evolution of the game through the decades.”

While the planning for the official bid is still in the early stages, the city is targeting a location in the North Shore between PNC Park and Acrisure Stadium.

“There is a lot of development that has been done over the years since the stadiums were built, so we are really excited about that area,” Steelers spokesperson Burt Lauten said.

“Ideally, it would be an area that we would cause the least disruption to over a long period of time. What we have learned from other cities when they are hosting the draft is that it takes several weeks to actually build out the area for the draft stage and around the draft, and then, of course, hosting it during that weekend, and then, there is some time that it’s going to take to tear all of that down,” VisitPittsburgh president and CEO Jerad

Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 talked with Steelers fans about the possibility.

“I think it would be great. I am surprised it hasn’t been here before,” Pete Slingerland said.

“Every time we go to a game somewhere else, at least half of the stadium is Pittsburgh fans. Pittsburgh nation travels all over the place. This would be a great place for a draft,” Newt Goodwell said.

The NFL has already selected host cities for its next two drafts: Detroit in 2024, followed by Green Bay in 2025.

“It’s going to be a process. It’s very detailed what we need to get to the league,” Lauten said. “It is a several-month process. We don’t expect to hear anything until probably the spring or early summer.”

Pittsburgh’s Action Sports director Andrew Stockey spoke with Steelers President Art Rooney II about the push earlier this year, saying he thought the city would do a great job hosting the draft.

“We want to make sure that we continue to position Pittsburgh as a future city option for the NFL draft,” Bachar said last spring. “The Steelers have done a phenomenal job of really setting the groundwork for Pittsburgh in the mind of the NFL and the other owners as a potential host city. So we want to keep those conversations going.”

Bachar said the draft could attract 400,000 people to the region and generate up to $160 million for the local economy.

“This opportunity from a small business standpoint really bringing consumers in that use our retail outlets, that stay in our hotels, that dine in our restaurants, go out and really experience everything that Pittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh region has on offer is really an exciting opportunity,” Bachar said.

“We want to make sure that we continue to position Pittsburgh as a future city option for the NFL draft,” Bachar said last spring. “The Steelers have done a phenomenal job of really setting the groundwork for Pittsburgh in the mind of the NFL and the other owners as a potential host city. So we want to keep those conversations going.”

Bachar said the draft could attract 400,000 people to the region and generate up to $160 million for the local economy.

“This opportunity from a small business standpoint really bringing consumers in that use our retail outlets, that stay in our hotels, that dine in our restaurants, go out and really experience everything that Pittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh region has on offer is really an exciting opportunity,” Bachar said.