Steelers' Mike McCarthy Locks In On Drew Allar's Most Criticized Aspect Of His Game

The Pittsburgh Steelers' first of three third-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft was used on a project quarterback in Drew Allar. He's considered an extremely raw prospect who is coming off a season-ending ankle injury that he suffered during his time at Penn State University. His big arm is one of the main attractions of his repertoire and is what made him so intriguing. He struggled with some routine throws and stared down receivers, which hindered his ability to be a complete passer. However, his biggest issue is his footwork, which was very apparent when looking at tape ahead of the draft. 

The Steelers' rookie minicamp told the story of how things will work with developing Allar. Pittsburgh's coaches stripped everything down and focused on a ton of fundamentals, including the footwork. One of the drills involved Allar taking snaps under center, something that Penn State's offense rarely did. Allar will be expected to drop back more in the NFL, and the slow and technical nature of the drill proved that the coaching staff is going back to basics. 

Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy has been known as the "quarterback whisperer" by some. He worked one-on-one with Allar in minicamp, something that many Steelers fans and pundits aren't used to seeing, as the franchise's recent head coaches have been defensive-minded. The entire minicamp, Allar was the only quarterback. It clued in just how confident McCarthy must be in his ability to develop signal-callers, including Allar -- especially in a West Coast offense, one that relies on solid footwork. The Athletic's Mike DeFabo broke it all down. 

"The focus on footwork, in particular, is also intentional. In the West Coast offense, the footwork of the quarterback is married to the depth of the receivers’ routes. Timing it up correctly allows a quarterback to work through his progressions more seamlessly. One of the main criticisms of Allar as he was going through his final seasons at Penn State was his footwork," DeFabo wrote. 

As previously stated, the footwork was a huge issue for Allar. He was often thrown off rhythm on throws because of it. He had shaky feet in some of his throws and failed to have a strong base. That was something that McCarthy helped work on right off the bat. He wasn't shy about admitting that the young quarterback was a work in progress, but his arm caught the attention of many. This new challenge could result in an intriguing gunslinger who could be the quarterback of the future in the Steel City if he fixes his mechanics. 

McCarthy's offense relies on his quarterback to make throws that are timed well and in stride with the receiver. Allar will need to be able to work through his progressions quickly and hit his receivers. These are aspects he struggled with in college. He was able to let it rip and throw accurate deep throws to receivers downfield, but making the routine plays was sometimes difficult. This new challenge for McCarthy goes against everything that DeFabo mentioned, so it's clear that he sees something in Allar. 

The Steelers Are Set Up For Quarterback Development

McCarthy, the "quarterback guru" hired multiple coaches to help in developing the two existing project quarterbacks on the Steelers' roster. This included retaining quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and Frank Cignetti Jr. as a senior offensive assistant (who is a former quarterbacks coach). The trio of coaches has a ton of expertise to teach a young quarterback. The coaching picks were deliberate, and the quarterback school is in session in Pittsburgh. 

Not to mention, if Aaron Rodgers were to come back, he could be a huge mentor. His Hall of Fame resume will be invaluable to the young signal-callers and will help them acclimate to NFL nuances. The pieces are in place for extensive quarterback development in the Steel City. 

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