At the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft, Packers President/CEO, Mark Murphy, handed the NFL Draft ball over to officials with the City of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh will host the 2026 NFL Draft. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — With the 2025 NFL Draft officially wrapping up Saturday in Green Bay, the city of Pittsburgh is now on the clock.
Much like last year, when Green Bay leaders headed to Detroit, Steel City officials were in Green Bay this week to scout things out.
And now, the NFL Draft ball is literally in the hands of Pittsburgh for the 2026 NFL Draft. Much like Green Bay, Pittsburgh has been vying for this opportunity for years.
“It takes a long time to get ready for this. First, you have to get the NFL’s attention to say, ‘Hey, this city actually can host this.’ Same with Pittsburgh. We had to start talking to them years and years ago to make sure that they knew Pittsburgh wants to host it. And then in 2021, we started our formalized approach to bidding on the draft,” said Jerad Bachar, president/CEO of Visit Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh leaders spent three full days at the Green Bay-hosted draft, learning the ins and out — and how it will translate in their city.
“We know that the North Shore, next to Acrisure Stadium, is going to be a big focus for them, but also activating Point State Park. Point State Park is iconic in the downtown area, so we know there’s going to be a lot of activities in both of those areas,” added Bachar.
Steelers fans in Green Bay for the draft are excited the Steel City is next in line.
“It’s really great for these cold weather cities. We’re never going to be able to host a Super Bowl here in Green Bay or Pittsburgh, so I think it’s amazing. For the city of Pittsburgh, the draft is the second biggest NFL event of the year, probably,” said Joe Wetak.
Gundrun Wetak added, “Both of them are such historic franchises. They’ve been around football a long time. So if there’s anyone who knows how to put on a show, it’s Green Bay and the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
The NFL Draft in Pittsburgh opens April 23, 2026.
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