Jerome Bettis is a big fan of Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Drew Allar.
The Steelers selected their potential franchise quarterback of the future in Allar with their third round draft pick this year. The 6-foot-5 Allar is a local product having starred at Penn State in recent years, leading the Penn State Nittany Lions to a College Football Playoff appearance during the 2024 season. Allar was expected to be one of the top draft prospects entering the 2025 season, but a season-ending ankle injury derailed those chances.
While Allar won’t start entering this season with Aaron Rodgers coming back for his last year, he could start as soon as the 2027 season. Bettis — who is well-known for his Steelers tenure and won the Super Bowl in 2005 — compared Allar to his former teammate, Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger was the starting quarterback when the Steelers won the Super Bowl during the 2005 season and he won two Super Bowls in his career.
Why Jerome Bettis Compares Drew Allar to Ben Roethlisberger
“He’s a pretty big kid,” said Bettis of Allar. “He’s definitely not as athletic as Ben was. Ben could move, he was a big, big dude, but he could move. I don’t know if he’s as athletic as Ben, but in terms of size, he’s got that size. I’m thinking of the guys in the league that are that tall, he’s got to be 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 right. He’s up there, so I just think from the physical perspective, he’s supremely talented. He’s got a big arm. He can make all the throws, so it’s just about learning the NFL game, and I think he’s in a great position to learn behind Aaron Rodgers.”
Jerome Bettis on Drew Allar: ‘He’s a Dynamic Football Player’
Allar may not have the athleticism of Roethlisberger according to Bettis, but he certainly has the ability to tuck and run when he has to. The 22-year-old Allar ran for 302 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 season. The most rushing yards Roethlisberger ever posted during a single season was 204 yards during the 2007 season.
Bettis said Allar has to clean up some of his decision making, but he said there’s a reason why the Penn State alum was once regarded as a top 10 or 15 pick in the draft prior to his injuries. During the 2023 season, Allar threw for 25 touchdowns against just two interceptions for a 136.9 passer rating. He actually boosted his passer rating during the 2024 season when he threw 24 touchdowns against eight interceptions for a 153.5 passer rating.
“You look at him, he’s a dynamic football player,” said Bettis of Allar. “He’s made some bad decisions in his day, and I think that’s what you gotta clean up. But you look at the physical traits and ability, it’s there. You look at him at the end of his junior year, there was talk about him being a top 10-15 pick. He decided to come back, and it didn’t work out the way he wanted to, and got injured, and his stock fell, but it doesn’t change that his ability is still there. His capabilities are there. I think he’s a really good quarterback that just needs to learn the NFL game, and you can’t ask for a better teacher than Aaron Rodgers.”
We’ll see what Allar’s future holds in Pittsburgh, but he’ll certainly have the benefit of learning from the 42-year-old Rodgers, who is a four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion himself.
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