The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the 2026 season with Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback, but everyone understands that Rodgers is a short-term answer.
That makes every pass thrown by rookie Drew Allar during training camp feel more important.
Allar has generated plenty of excitement in Latrobe. His arm strength is obvious, he has connected on several impressive downfield throws, and he has shown the physical tools that once made him one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the country.
The early reviews have been encouraging. Still, impressive practices in August do not automatically make someone the Steelers’ next franchise quarterback.
So, is Allar really the future in Pittsburgh?
The answer is not yet, but he has the tools to make the Steelers seriously consider that possibility.
The Physical Talent Is Real
There has never been much doubt about Allar’s arm.
At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, he has the size Pittsburgh has traditionally valued at quarterback. He can drive the football outside the numbers, attack the middle of the field and create explosive plays without needing perfect conditions around him.
Head coach Mike McCarthy offered a balanced evaluation after getting his first extended look at Allar during rookie minicamp.
“Physically gifted thrower of the football, but he’s no different than any other young talented quarterback I’ve been fortunate to work with,” McCarthy said.
That assessment captures both sides of the Allar discussion.
The talent is easy to see, but talent alone does not guarantee that a quarterback will become an NFL starter.
Allar’s arm strength allows the Steelers to use the entire field. Defenses cannot sit on underneath routes when a quarterback can challenge them vertically. He also moves well for his size and can extend plays when protection breaks down.
He may never become a quarterback who wins primarily with his legs, but he has enough mobility to avoid pressure and pick up yards when opportunities appear.
The raw materials are there.
Learning to Give Every Rep a Purpose
Allar is not approaching training camp as if he already has everything figured out.
He has spoken about the amount of detail McCarthy and the coaching staff demand from their quarterbacks.
“Definitely makes you be very detail oriented and have a purpose behind every rep,” Allar said. “I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned.”
That mindset will be important for a developmental quarterback. Allar is working on more than simply completing passes during practice. His footwork, reads, timing and mechanics must all work together.
Allar explained that much of the technical work occurs before the competitive portion of practice begins.
“Have a purpose and intent behind everything in those individual drills where you’re throwing to stationary targets and do all the hard work there,” Allar said. “When it’s time to go play 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 football just go play ball and coach it up after.”
Those comments suggest Allar understands the difference between showing off his arm and developing the habits required to play quarterback in the NFL.
“When it’s in those individual drills, making sure I’m doing the correct footwork, correct reads, whatever the case is, and being very intentional with that,” Allar said.
The Steelers do not need Allar to look like a finished product in August. They need him to demonstrate that he can absorb coaching, correct mistakes and gradually become more consistent.
Why Allar Was Available
If Allar had been a finished product coming out of Penn State, he probably would not have lasted until the 76th overall selection in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
His college career featured plenty of impressive moments, but it also raised questions about consistency, accuracy and performance under pressure.
Allar sometimes became too cautious. His desire to protect the football occasionally prevented him from taking reasonable chances downfield. At other times, his mechanics became inconsistent when defenders forced him off his spot.
Those issues are not unusual for a young quarterback, but they explain why Pittsburgh should not rush to declare him the answer.
NFL defenses will challenge Allar in ways training-camp practices cannot fully replicate. They will disguise coverages, change looks after the snap and force him to make quick decisions while the pocket collapses.
The most important question is not whether Allar can make a spectacular throw. Everyone already knows he can.
The question is whether he can consistently make the correct throw.
The Steelers Clearly Wanted Him
Allar was not simply the highest-ranked quarterback remaining when Pittsburgh made its third-round selection.
General manager Omar Khan said the Steelers had identified Allar as one of the quarterbacks they wanted and had no intention of trading away from the opportunity to select him.
“We met with him at the Combine, and I wish you could’ve seen the interaction of him and Coach McCarthy talking ball,” Khan said. “It was awesome.”
The Steelers brought Allar back for a pre-draft visit, and the interaction apparently produced the same result.
“It just felt right,” Khan said. “Certain players just feel right, and he was one of them.”
That does not mean the organization has already decided Allar will become its next starting quarterback. It does show that McCarthy and the front office saw something worth developing.
The football conversations between Allar and McCarthy appear to have mattered. Pittsburgh did not draft only the arm or the frame. The Steelers also drafted a quarterback they believed could handle the mental work required within McCarthy’s system.
Pittsburgh Is an Ideal Situation for His Development
The Steelers do not need Allar to start immediately.
That could be one of the biggest advantages of his situation.
Rodgers gives Pittsburgh an experienced starter, allowing Allar to learn without being asked to rescue the franchise during his rookie season. He can study how a veteran quarterback prepares, reads defenses and handles the pressure that comes with playing the position.
Allar can also work on his weaknesses without every mistake becoming a citywide debate.
That does not mean he should spend the entire season hidden on the sideline. The Steelers need to give him meaningful preseason snaps and opportunities to operate the full offense. Handing the ball off and calling safe passes will not tell the organization what it needs to know.
Pittsburgh must challenge him.
Let him make protection adjustments. Give him third-and-long situations. Ask him to attack tight windows. Put him in the two-minute offense and see how quickly he processes information.
The Steelers need to find out how Allar responds when the game becomes uncomfortable.
Will Howard Is Part of the Conversation
Allar is not Pittsburgh’s only young quarterback.
Will Howard has also shown developmental promise, giving the Steelers an intriguing competition behind Rodgers. Howard brings leadership, mobility and experience in pressure situations.
That competition should be viewed as a positive.
The Steelers should not hand Allar the future starting job because of his draft position or a few impressive training-camp throws. If he is going to become the franchise quarterback, he should earn that status.
Allar has the greater collection of traditional quarterback traits, but Howard can make the decision more difficult by continuing to improve.
Pittsburgh’s goal should not be to prove that one particular player is the answer. The goal should be to identify the best long-term quarterback on the roster.
What Allar Must Show Next
Allar’s development should be measured in several specific areas.
First, he must process defenses more quickly. NFL passing windows close fast, and hesitation can turn an open receiver into a missed opportunity.
Second, his accuracy must remain consistent when he faces pressure. Clean-pocket throws are important, but franchise quarterbacks must deliver when protection fails.
Third, he needs to demonstrate command of the offense. That includes changing protections, recognizing pressure and getting the Steelers into the correct play.
Finally, Allar must show that he can recover from mistakes. Every young quarterback will throw interceptions and miss open receivers. The important part is how he responds on the next possession.
Those traits will tell the Steelers more about his future than one deep touchdown during practice.
The Verdict
Allar has done enough to make the conversation legitimate.
He has the size, arm strength and mobility to develop into an NFL starter. His early work has provided encouraging evidence that he belongs at this level, and his willingness to focus on the details gives Pittsburgh another reason for optimism.
McCarthy’s initial evaluation remains the correct way to view the rookie. Allar is a physically gifted passer, but he is also a young quarterback with significant development ahead of him.
Calling him Pittsburgh’s quarterback of the future would still be premature.
Allar must improve his consistency, processing and accuracy under pressure. The Steelers should be encouraged by his progress, but they should not allow excitement to become certainty.
For now, Rodgers is the present.
Allar has an opportunity to become the future.
What happens during the preseason, and throughout the rest of his rookie season, will begin to show whether he is simply an exciting young quarterback or the player Pittsburgh has been searching for.