The National Football League has chosen Pittsburgh as the host city for the 2026 NFL Draft, giving the Steelers an opportunity to showcase Pennsylvania’s rich football heritage while striving to meet the new standards set by previous host cities.
The announcement was made by league officials on Wednesday during the NFL spring meetings, after owners reviewed the bid along with the advisory committee.
The three-day draft event will take place at Point State Park and the Steelers’ home stadium, Acrisure Stadium. Pittsburgh follows in the footsteps of recent host cities that have raised the bar for the NFL Draft, with Detroit setting a record of more than 775,000 fans in attendance in April 2024. Green Bay is set to host the 2025 draft at the iconic Lambeau Field from April 24-26.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II acknowledged the high standards set by cities like Detroit and Kansas City, expressing the team’s excitement to tap into the deep roots of professional football in Pennsylvania. The state has produced numerous NFL legends, including Mike Ditka, Dan Marino, and Joe Montana.
Rooney anticipates that the 2026 NFL Draft will be the largest visitor event in Pittsburgh’s history, attracting hundreds of thousands of football fans from across the country, particularly those who are part of the Steelers’ passionate fanbase. “Certainly, the Steelers nation from all over the country we think will come for a visit. So we just look forward to hosting that,” Rooney said.
The NFL began rotating the draft to different cities in 2015, starting with Chicago, after holding the event in New York City for nearly 50 years (1965-2014). Since then, the draft has been hosted by Philadelphia (2017), Dallas (2018), Nashville (2019), Cleveland (2021), Las Vegas (2022), and Kansas City (2023).
As Pittsburgh prepares to welcome the NFL Draft in 2026, the city and the Steelers organization will undoubtedly work to create a memorable experience for fans, players, and the entire NFL community, while showcasing the region’s deep-rooted passion for football and its significant contributions to the sport’s history.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.