Pittsburgh Steelers expected to be named host city of 2026 NFL Draft, 'strong sense they will be awarded'

After months of sitting on eggshells, it appears we are mere hours away from confirmation that the Pittsburgh Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft.

Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports , there is a high degree of likelihood that Pittsburgh will be named the host city later today at the league meetings:

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Burgh Goes Big

Both Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson say it’s very likely Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. “A trustworthy birdy said that there were scouts there last weekend to see if Pittsburgh can host the 2026 NFL Draft,” said Crowley. “I don’t even think it was to see, I think they were just almost confirming it,” said Dickerson. Crowley said he thinks its more likely than not that the Draft is in Pittsburgh. -Andrew Limberg, 93.7 The Fan

The above tweet and report occurred during November of last season, when the NFL was doing their due diligence on the city to see if it could support such an event.

The fans in Pittsburgh are undoubtedly worthy, but as we saw in Detroit this year, it's nothing for over half a million fans to swarm the downtown area of a draft venue, which can obviously have ramifications on travel and logistics.

But Pittsburgh always seemed sure to be awarded, with Steelers team president and Owner Art Rooney II expecting this very announcement to come around this exact time:

“It looks good and we should find out next week,” Rooney told KDKA Radio host, Michael Bartley during the Steelers Community Impact Breakfast at Acrisure Stadium last week.

It marks the first time since NFL started rotating venues for the draft that Pittsburgh will be the host city. And while it may not generate the revenue that hosting a Super Bowl will, when you look at the crowds that populated Nashville and Detroit, it's safe to say Pittsburgh is welcoming the event with open arms:

It's a great way to reward both the fans and cities of northern franchises, as Super Bowls are almost remotely saved for more tropical or warm climates at this point. The weather in early February isn't exactly conducive for holding a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh.

But the weather in late April-early May is a heck of a lot better, making the Steel City a perfect candidate, and next up after Green Bay in 2025.

Related: Pittsburgh Steelers 90-man depth chart projection: A look at the WR room leaves a lot to be desired