Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Calls For Critical Drew Allar Experiment

The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot properly compare Drew Allar and Will Howard if the two young quarterbacks are operating under dramatically different conditions. Ben Roethlisberger wants Mike McCarthy to address that problem during the preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills.

Allar completed 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards during Pittsburgh's 17-0 loss to the New York Jets. Those numbers suggest the rookie struggled, but Roethlisberger believes the box score places too much responsibility on the passer and ignores the problems surrounding him.

The offensive line failed to provide steady protection, while several receivers dropped catchable throws. Allar could have executed certain moments better, but evaluating him without accounting for those circumstances would produce an incomplete conclusion. Roethlisberger revealed his hope for Allar and Howard on the latest episode of his Footbahlin podcast on Tuesday.

"It was very apparent, as we get into Drew, that Drew struggled mightily. Well, not mightily, I take that back," Roethlisberger said. "Drew's struggles mostly came, in my opinion, because of the struggles of the O-line. He struggled, but the line struggled and the receivers struggled."

Roethlisberger correcting himself is important. Allar did not deliver an impressive statistical outing, yet his individual play was not disastrous enough to justify placing the entire scoreless half on him. Protection failures and dropped passes repeatedly disrupted whatever rhythm he tried to establish.

Preseason football makes quarterback evaluation especially complicated. The first unit may face a collection of reserves on one series before seeing an opponent's better defenders on the next. Meanwhile, one young signal-caller may receive superior blocking and more reliable targets through nothing more than rotation timing. That is why Roethlisberger wants Pittsburgh to reverse the circumstances in Buffalo. Instead of giving Howard the stronger supporting cast again, he would place Allar behind the better blockers and surround him with the more established receiving options.

"This week, I would love to flip them around," Roethlisberger said. "Give Drew the little bit better line with better receivers, and put Will back there and let's see how it fares. Is Drew going to go out and struggle and Will lights it up? Then you're getting some answers."

That proposal would create the closest thing Pittsburgh can find to a controlled experiment during an NFL exhibition. It would not eliminate every variable, but it could reveal whether Allar's uneven production resulted primarily from his own decisions or the instability surrounding him.

Howard also deserves to be evaluated under more challenging circumstances. If he can efficiently command the offense behind reserve linemen and connect with inexperienced targets, his performance would say something meaningful about his readiness. If his play declines sharply, the staff gains useful context about the advantages he previously received.

Neither outcome would completely settle the competition. Allar is a rookie selected in the third round, while Howard is entering his second professional season after missing the entire 2025 preseason. Both remain developmental prospects, and one August appearance should not define either player.

However, McCarthy needs the cleanest information available. Aaron Rodgers is the starter and Mason Rudolph remains the dependable veteran backup, leaving Howard and Allar to compete for developmental priority and potentially determine how Pittsburgh handles four quarterbacks on its final roster.

Steelers Must Give Drew Allar A Fairer Evaluation In Buffalo

Roethlisberger is correct that the supporting casts should be reversed. Allar needs an opportunity to operate with cleaner protection and pass-catchers more capable of finishing plays. Howard should be challenged to elevate the less experienced personnel around him.

That does not mean Pittsburgh should manufacture easy conditions for Allar or attempt to make Howard fail. The purpose is gathering comparable evidence. Evaluators learn little when two passers are effectively taking different tests and then being judged solely by their final numbers.

Steeler Nation should want this adjustment in Buffalo because it gives McCarthy a better chance to separate individual performance from surrounding chaos. If Allar improves dramatically and Howard regresses, the previous results gain valuable context. If the same patterns remain, Pittsburgh receives a much clearer answer about where both quarterbacks stand.

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