Mike McCarthy Challenges Steelers' QB Prospect In Private Scouting Combine Meeting

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to understand just how rough the quarterback market truly is. as both free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft are expected to be very disappointing in that regard. They could still target a mid-round project to develop, especially since the team bought into Mike McCarthy's claim of being a quarterback whisperer. The organization is relying on him to find and teach the future franchise passer, as it has failed to properly develop one since Ben Roethlisberger in the mid 2000s. 

It seems like McCarthy is doing everything he possibly can to identify a quality prospect in the upcoming draft. During an interview with Aditi Kinkhabwala at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Penn State Nittany Lions' passer Drew Allar revealed how tough it was in his meeting with the Steelers' brass.

"I would say Coach McCarthy of the Steelers [was the toughest interview]," Allar said. "We weren't necessarily up on the board when we did it. I was just basically explaining a lot about our protections, a couple concepts he was asking me about. It was really fun though; those are the conversations I love. I love talking about, I'm learning as much football as I can. I've taken a lot of pride in just trying to [have] the highest football IQ I can... I hope I passed."

Allar was one of the many quarterbacks expected to have a first-round grade on him after the 2025 season. However, a disappointing campaign production-wise that was cut short due to a major injury did not help matters at all. He's now at the point where he is just trying to do anything he can to not fall into Day 3 of the draft, even if it means getting drilled intensely by a team that may or may not have interest in him. 

Despite turning 22 soon, Allar is expected to be a project quarterback, and he could be taken anywhere between the second and fifth rounds, as his draft stock is all over the place. Wherever he goes, expectations are that he will sit on the bench for at least one year before even getting the chance to compete for the starter job. He still has a lot to learn, but his physical traits could entice someone to take a chance on him.

At 6'5 and 235 pounds, there is definitely a lot of upside with Allar. He has a very strong arm, and is a very capable runner, even if he doesn't prefer to gain yards like that. You can't teach size and strength, but you can teach mechanics. Allar's mechanics are not on par with a starting NFL quarterback yet, but with the right coach, he might be able to learn how to lead a team on the field and win some games.

Steelers Need To Invest In Upside

For a team that has been unable to find and/or develop quality quarterbacks in recent years, it needs to keep stacking up on these high-risk high-reward options. Many people would say Allar does not have a great chance to develop. The same could be said for Will Howard, the sixth-round pick for Pittsburgh from 2025. However, when you keep buying lottery tickets, odds are one of them will turn out to be a winner.

The Steelers could keep Howard, draft a prospect like Allar now, and select another high-upside quarterback in 2027 — whether that's in the first round or sometime after that. That's three lottery tickets that the Steelers would have. All they need is for one of them to hit, and they will be in a very good spot for the next 10 or more years. If McCarthy is really a quarterback whisperer, he can definitely make it work with a situation like that.

What do you think about McCarthy drilling Allar harder than the prospect has been drilled with other teams? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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