The Pittsburgh Steelers played the final game of the team's preseason schedule on Thursday night, and it gave the coaching staff a great look at some of the younger talent that is currently on the roster. The setup for the offense was the same as it was against the New York Jets in Week 2 as Will Howard started the game and played the entire first half. Rookie quarterback Drew Allar took over for him in the second half, and he played well once again. His numbers weren't spectacular, but he threw catchable balls that were not caught as his targets were players that probably won't be on an NFL roster in a week.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Allar looked impressive throughout his preseason performances, and fans are definitely optimistic about the future of the quarterback position with him in the room. He led the Steelers down the field to score a touchdown on his drive in the second half, but the offense eventually stalled out at some points which led to Pittsburgh losing by a score of 28-27. He still looked impressive with his mechanics and pocket presence, which is a credit to Head Coach Mike McCarthy.
Allar spoke to the media after the loss, and he was reflective about his preseason and training camp. He was asked about his first performance in a road venue, and spoke about some regrets from the game.
"I feel like I played well," Allar said. "I know there's plays that come to mind that I want to have back. It was definitely... it was loud. That two-minute drive, that stadium is going to be loud for opposing teams. I don't know how many fans they had, they had a lot. It was a really challenging environment to play in. Overall, I felt pretty good about my performance, again, there's a couple plays that come to mind in situational football where I could be a little bit more conservative with my approach to the game."
The rookie quarterback had a chance to drive his team down the field to win the game with just over a minute left on the game clock. Pittsburgh was only down one point, so the offense just had to get into field goal range. Allar completed his first pass for a three-yard game, but that was the only completion of the drive and Pittsburgh turned the ball over on downs.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
This was a great learning experience for Allar as he was able to be in a legitimate two-minute drill against an external opponent. It is an added bonus that it was also in a hostile environment, with one of the best fan bases in the NFL making a ton of noise. He didn't necessarily perform well on the drive, but now he knows what it feels like to be on an NFL field in a situation like that. Hopefully the next time he is in that situation he is able to make the most of it.
Steelers' Drew Allar Likely Won't See The Field Again In 2026
If Allar plays at all in the 2026 season, it means things have either gone extremely well, or extremely bad. It would likely come late in the year, and if he is starting, it means the Steelers are either locked into a playoff seed, or the year was disastrous and the team is not competitive. He will have a chance to be the starter for the 2027 season but a lot can obviously change before that opportunity comes around. Pittsburgh could still be in the market for a quarterback at the 2027 NFL Draft, and there could be some sort of competition before the 2027 season.
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