The Pittsburgh Steelers addressed their quarterback room by selecting Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pittsburgh was expected to draft a developmental quarterback, even if Aaron Rodgers returns, which seems likely at this point. The Steelers ended up picking Allar, and according to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Pittsburgh views Allar similarly to longtime AFC North quarterback Joe Flacco.
“With third-round quarterback Drew Allar, the Steelers are betting big on coach Mike McCarthy’s quarterback development to fix Allar’s footwork. “He’s really got a good feel for what that takes,” a team source said of McCarthy’s touch in this area. Pittsburgh believes Allar has similar arm talent to a young Joe Flacco,” Fowler wrote.
If Allar can come close to the career Flacco had, the Steelers would jump at it, as the veteran led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl.
Yet, Allar likely won’t see the field in 2026, as Rodgers’ return seems likely, and Will Howard will be the backup. Mason Rudolph, meanwhile, is also on the roster, so Allar’s path to playing time is blocked.
However, Allar could use this season to further develop and potentially be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2027 and beyond.
Allar dealt with injuries last season at Penn State, as he threw for 1,100 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions.
Steelers ‘Excited’ to Have Allar in QB Room
Pittsburgh selected Allar with the 76th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Entering the 2025 college football season, Allar was a Heisman frontrunner and could be a top-10 pick. Yet, he dealt with an injury that plagued his season and his draft stock.
Despite that, Allar has all the tools to be a franchise quarterback, and the Steelers are excited to have him in the building.
“Very excited to have Drew in our room,” said Tom Arth, the Steelers quarterbacks coach. “Drew’s a young man who I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to get to know since he was pretty young. I was coaching in college in Ohio at the University of Akron when Drew was in high school. So I’ve been watching Drew since he was probably 14 or 15 years old.
“You saw the talent, you saw the ability, you certainly saw the stature and all of those things. To see what he’s accomplished and how far he’s come is really special for me. Now to have the chance to have him here in Pittsburgh and in our quarterback room I think is outstanding.”
Allar will likely compete for the backup quarterback job for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh Expects Rodgers Decision Soon
The Steelers are still waiting for Rodgers to make his decision on his future, which is expected soon.
Appearing on the NFL Network on Wednesday for an interview, Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II said he expects a decision in the coming weeks.
“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Rooney said. “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans, and even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”
The Steelers placed the rarely used UFA tender on Rodgers. The tender allows the Steelers to receive a compensatory draft pick in the event Rodgers signs with another team. It also limits his ability to sign with another team once training camp begins.
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