13-05-2025
Pittsburgh unveils NFL Draft countdown clock
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (BLACK AND GOLD NATION) – Pittsburgh is officially on the clock for the 2026 NFL Draft. Just outside Acrisure Stadium, the city unveiled a virtual clock on Monday that counts down to next year's event.
The 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh is widely expected to be the largest event that the city has ever seen.
'It'll be the biggest (draft) the NFL's ever seen,' City of Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said. 'I believe we'll get a million people in this region, a million people to come to our draft.'
One million attendees would mark a new NFL Draft record. Even if they don't reach that number, the event will still be massive economically for the city, region and state.
After conducting studies, Allegheny County Executive Sara Inamorato expects $100-200 million in economic impact. It's no surprise when considering that the NFL Draft has turned into one of the league's biggest spectacles.
Last month, more than 600,000 people attended the event in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It was the second most watched draft of all time, falling behind the 2020 NFL Draft.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II is hoping that the Steel City can leave a lasting memory next April 23-25.
'I'm going to need a boat (to arrive) because there's going to be so many people around here,' Rooney joked. 'What this is really going to be about, I think, is about having fun.'
'The contingent we just had in Green Bay talked about how much fun people were having in Green Bay. Well, this is going to be about talking about how much fun we're going to have in Pittsburgh.'
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