The Pittsburgh Steelers made the decision to draft quarterback Drew Allar out of Penn State with the 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The move immediately raised some eyebrows around the league because Pittsburgh already has a young quarterback in Will Howard, who the organization selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Naturally, the two young signal-callers are expected to compete within Mike McCarthy’s quarterback development program as they attempt to position themselves as the long-term future of the franchise.
Paul Burdick / StateCollege.com
Steelers quarterback Drew Allar warms up for a home playoff game during his time in college at Penn State.
For the 2026 season, Aaron Rodgers is expected to finish his storied NFL career in the black and gold, while Mason Rudolph currently projects as the veteran backup option. That leaves Allar and Howard battling for developmental spots lower on the depth chart while they continue to learn behind two experienced veterans. Pittsburgh clearly believes competition at the quarterback position is healthy, but adding another young passer so soon after drafting Howard has created plenty of debate among Steelers fans.
Many have been curious about how Allar has looked during the offseason program so far, especially considering the expectations that came with being a third-round selection. However, Steelers insider Mike DeFabo joined 93.7 The Fan and delivered some brutal news for Steeler Nation regarding the rookie quarterback. According to DeFabo, Allar has struggled with consistency early in offseason workouts, raising concerns about how quickly he may be able to develop into a reliable NFL option.
"This is a guy who's not ready to play at the NFL level," DeFabo said during his time chatting on The Fan's Pomp and Joe Show on Friday. "They need to do considerable work with some of his mechanics, specifically his lower half and his footwork."
Now, obviously, this is somewhat expected with a third-round project quarterback like Allar. The main reason the Steelers wanted to draft him was because of the traits that simply cannot be taught. Allar possesses prototypical NFL size, arm strength, and overall physical tools that teams covet in a franchise quarterback prospect.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterback Drew Allar walks out on stage during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
However, as DeFabo highlighted, there is still a ton of work that needs to be done with Allar’s game early in his development, and he is far from being NFL-ready at this stage of his career.
"I've seen Drew Allar throw a handful of passes, but a lot of those were inaccurate passes," DeFabo said. "He's not, to me, looked great. He's looked like a guy that is 6-5 and has 10-inch hands and has an unbelievable arm, but also needs a lot of work."
As for Howard, the jury is still out on him as well. His 2025 season hit a major roadblock when he suffered an injury and was forced to miss the preseason, slowing down his early development. Both Howard and Allar are expected to receive the majority of the reps during the 2026 preseason, and those performances could be very telling for how the future of the quarterback competition ultimately plays out in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Have Tons Of Questions In Their QB Room
Howard did gain an early advantage by entering the NFL a year sooner and getting the opportunity to learn behind Rodgers early in his career. Now, in 2026, Allar will have that same opportunity to sit behind Rodgers and continue developing within the Steelers’ system. That extra year of mentorship could end up being critical for both young quarterbacks as they attempt to establish themselves long-term.
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Steelers QB Will Howard during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
It will be fascinating to see whether the Steelers can strike gold with one of these young, talented quarterbacks who still come with plenty of question marks. Both players possess intriguing upside, but the next year of development may determine whether either Howard or Allar can truly become the franchise quarterback Pittsburgh has been searching for.
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