NFL Designates Pittsburgh as Host City for 2026 NFL Draft

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Pittsburgh, home of the Steelers, will be the proud host of the 2026 draft. This decision reflects the league’s ongoing success in diversifying the event’s locations across various cities.

In a statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed excitement about the partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers and VisitPITTSBURGH for the upcoming event. Goodell highlighted the significance of showcasing Pittsburgh on a global platform, emphasizing the positive impact on the city’s economy and the excitement it will generate among football enthusiasts worldwide.

The previous draft, held in Detroit, set attendance records, with 275,000 attendees on Thursday alone for the first round and a total of 775,000 attendees over the three-day event. Detroit’s downtown area, with a theater constructed at Campus Martius Park, provided a vibrant backdrop for the 2024 NFL draft.

Next in line, the 2025 NFL draft is scheduled to take place in Green Bay, marking the ninth city to host the event. Since moving the draft out of New York in 2015, the NFL has adopted a bidding process for selecting host cities, similar to that used for Super Bowl venues.

While Chicago stands as the only repeat host city since 2015 (in 2015 and 2016), other cities have taken turns hosting the NFL draft, including Philadelphia, Arlington (Texas), Nashville, Cleveland, Las Vegas, and Kansas City, Missouri.