Goodell: Steelers ‘In the Mix’ to Host 2026 or 2027 NFL Drafts

The NFL has not yet officially announced the winners of the bids to host the 2026 and 2027 NFL Draft, but signs continue to point to the Pittsburgh Steelers landing one.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday.

“They’re in the mix,” Goodell told the show. “I’ll tell you that. So that may be coming soon.”

The final decision is expected to be made at the next NFL’s owners meetings in May.

The Steelers did their diligence on hosting this weekend, sending vice president David Morehouse to view the facilities and setup the league helped Detroit put together for the festivities.

“There’s almost as much demand for the draft as there is for the Super Bowl,” Goodell said. “Because there’s so many cities [that] can’t host the Super Bowl but they can do the draft. It’s getting to the point where the draft, it’s not in the same league, but it’s pretty darn close.”

The Steelers officially submitted their bid to host the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft in February.

“We’re deep in the process of trying to get the NFL Draft to Pittsburgh,” team president Art Rooney said. “I think we are optimistic we will bring it here in the not so distant future.”

The plans for where the draft will be held if Pittsburgh gets the bid have not been finalized, but a source told Steelers Now that Point State Park is being considered. Additional scouting will take place throughout the coming months to determine other potential locations. The NFL has constructed a temporary venue for hosting the draft in other cities, such as Chicago and Cleveland, where it was held along the lakefront in a similar property.

The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin and hosted by the Packers. Since 1936, 12 different cities have hosted the NFL Draft, including Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Milwaukee,  Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C. Pittsburgh could be in line to have the longest drought between draft hosting duties. The Steel City last held the league’s annual selection meeting in 1948.