The Pittsburgh Steelers are banking on rookie quarterback Drew Allar’s upside, but they may have to accept he is what he is.
The Steelers are waiting to hear quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ plans for this upcoming season. The team placed the unrestricted free agent tender on the QB on Tuesday, which prevents him from signing with another franchise when training camp practices begin in late July.
If Rodgers retires, Allar (pick No. 76 of the 2026 NFL Draft) and second-year QB Will Howard will compete for the starting job. The Steelers hope Allar, a former five-star recruit, fulfills his potential, but they may soon realize he’s already close to his ceiling.
Why Drew Allar may not be the high-upside QB Steelers need
Scouts raved about Allar’s big arm throughout his college career with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Elite accuracy, however, is more important than arm strength, and the 6-foot-5, 235-pound QB lacks it.
In four seasons at Penn State, Allar completed 63.2 percent of his passes. Las Vegas Raiders QB Fernando Mendoza — the No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft — completed 68.6 percent of his passes in three seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers and California Golden Bears.
His inability to put the ball where he wants it prevented Allar from becoming a consistent deep-ball thrower. Per Pro Football Focus, he never completed more than 48.9 percent of his deep passes (throws of 20-plus air yards) at Penn State. Howard, meanwhile, completed 57.4 percent of such passes in his final collegiate season with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024.
Now, the Steelers believe Allar’s accuracy can be improved. In a story published Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the team is banking on new head coach Mike McCarthy refining the QB’s footwork, which, in turn, will make him a more precise passer. Even then, that may not solve all his problems.
Allar’s not mobile, so he can’t extend plays with his legs. He logged a below-average 3.3 yards per carry (736 yards) in college.
These weaknesses have left former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger unimpressed with Allar and indicating the team should roll with Howard if Rodgers doesn’t return next season.
“I think he had a lot of hype behind him at one point,” Roethlisberger has said of Allar on his podcast. “…When I did watch, he never jumped off the page to me. Is he big? Can he move? Can he throw? Yeah, but there was never a time, where I was like, ‘Whoa.'”
Allar didn’t play with elite WRs at Penn State, but the Nittany Lions weren’t talentless. They featured star tight end Tyler Warren (now with the Indianapolis Colts), who won the 2024 John Mackey Award as the best TE in college football.
The Steelers clearly want Allar to be one of the bigger steals in the draft. But after playing 45 college games, he has a large sample size, and he may not have much more room to grow.
Picking Howard over Allar may be the better choice for the Steelers. Allar doesn’t offer as much upside as they’d like, and his weaknesses may prevent him from becoming a quality starting QB in the NFL.