Steelers officially submit Pittsburgh's bid to host NFL Draft
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially submitted a bid to host the NFL Draft in 2026 or 2027, the team announced on Friday.
The Steelers made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, "The bid is in! We have officially submitted Pittsburgh's NFL Draft Bid to host the event in 2026 or 2027."
The Steelers and the city confirmed in November that they submitted their indication to the NFL office to host the draft in Pittsburgh.
"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," a spokesperson for the Steelers said at the time. "The NFL Draft will draw hundreds of thousands of fans and out-of-town visitors, and we look forward to working with local and state officials and community leaders to ensure we craft a successful bid to host the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft."
VisitPittsburgh CEO Jerad Bacher told KDKA-TV in April that hosting the draft would bring 300,000 to 400,000 people to the city, with an economic impact of around $130 million. VisitPittsburgh representatives traveled to Kansas City earlier this year to note how the events were put on from a logistical perspective.
For over 50 years, the draft was always in New York City. But in recent years, the draft has moved to different cities. Until now, the Steelers had never submitted a bid to host.
The NFL has already selected host cities for the next two years of the draft. It'll be in Detroit in 2024 and Green Bay in 2025. The league isn't expected to announce the location for the 2026 Draft until the owners meet in May.
