The Pittsburgh Steelers got a lot of good work out of their young quarterbacks in their preseason Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers. Between Will Howard and Drew Allar, they combined to lead all four scoring drives that Pittsburgh had in the game. This was the first-ever NFL game action for both of these men, so there were definitely some jitters that they had to work through while finally getting the chance to live out their dream. As long as they keep developing well, they will keep getting this chance to lead this team.
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Steelers' Will Howard throws the ball during training camp in 2026 as Drew Allar looks on.
Allar had his rookie jitters kick in right off the bat. During his postgame press conference, he was asked if he could hear the crowd chanting his name. He laughed it off and explained his mindset while that was all going on.
"Honestly, I was more focused on enunciating the play call more than anything, so I didn't really hear [the fans] at all," Allar laughed.
Steeler Nation made sure to let the world know how much they support the rookie quarterback: everyone except Allar, apparently. Despite the fact that he's a project and is expected to not see the field in the regular season for years, he still didn't want to come out and make his first impression a bad one. Communication is key to making the young passer's life easier, but he has to be the one that makes sure everyone understands.
The first two plays of the drive were runs, but Allar's first pass was a memorable one for him. He hit Kaden Wetjen on a quick slant, and the rookie receiver took it all the way down to the Packers' three-yard line, where the quarterback would later run the ball in for a touchdown. There aren't many better ways to start your first ever NFL drive, so that likely helped him get these jitters out of his system.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) standing with Tom Arth during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Allar accounted for three of the Steelers' four touchdowns, with two in the air and the aforementioned running touchdown. He finished the game completing 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards, two touchdowns, and a near-perfect passer rating. For a rookie quarterback that was deemed a project and a slight reach at where he was selected, that's not a bad first impression at all.
Allar is expected to continue to work with the fourth-team offense barring injury, or the team losing faith in Howard, and then he'll move up to the third-team offense once one of the other backups possibly depart from Pittsburgh. If he keeps this up, he'll likely be the QB2 in 2027 to start the season, and he may end up starting sooner rather than later. As long as he keeps focusing on communication and not the fans loving him, he should be okay.
Steelers Might Finally Be Giving Allar What Penn State Never Could
Allar was seen as a first-round talent throughout his college career for his large frame and very strong arm. However, he seemed to be held back by poor coaching with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Between his lack of mechanics, his struggles in key games, and a season-ending injury he suffered in 2025, he quickly fell down draft boards and was seen as a longshot to become a quality NFL starter.
Now, Allar has a coaching staff that is devoted to getting his mechanics right and teaching him every little thing he needs to know about being a quality quarterback at the NFL level. They are willing to take everything one step at a time, with the focus being on his footwork in his rookie season. It will likely take a couple of years for Allar to really shine, but if this keeps up, the football world better watch out.
What do you think about Allar trying to get through his nervousness in his preseason debut? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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