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Drew Allar is Making Steelers Head Coach a Believer

Aug 13, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar warms up for a pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Drew Allar is Making Steelers Head Coach a Believer

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Aug 17, 2026 12:00 PM ET

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As they pack up in Latrobe and head back to the South Side following the conclusion of training camp, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy spoke about the growth Drew Allar has showcased up to this point.

While speaking with reporters for the final time in Latrobe this summer, McCarthy went through the different ways in which the third-round rookie has impressed him from the time they first met during the NFL Scouting Combine up through training camp.

"Drew, my first encounter with him was at the combine," McCarthy said. "His face was beet red and we were rocking and rolling and had a good football conversation, but I was impressed with him in Indianapolis. I look at his first impression that he made in the rookie orientation. Everybody here was there. I thought he did a really nice job and handled the volume that we threw at him and the amount of throwing that we asked him to do on that weekend.

"Then the next hurdle was jumping into the OTAs... they've improved a lot."

On the topic of Allar's footwork, McCarthy said his capacity to adjust and understand is paramount in continuing to grow in that facet of the game.

"His ability to auto-correct and have a clear understanding, that's important," McCarthy said. "That's why we do the footwork drills over and over again, but he's a very astute quarterback. He's played a lot of quarterback."

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How Can Allar Continue to Develop Leading Into 2027?

Allar's preseason debut went swimmingly, as he completed 10 of his 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns while playing a majority of the second half in Pittsburgh's 28-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

The 22-year-old will continue to take plenty of reps in the Steelers' two subsequent preseason contests, and his spot on the 53-man roster is locked in.

Allar isn't going to enter the regular season as the backup, with Will Howard and Mason Rudolph currently competing for that role behind Aaron Rodgers. His rookie campaign is more or less set up as a redshirt year of sorts as he irons out some of his mechanical issues, including his footwork.

Allar looked ahead of the curve against the Packers, though he'll have to prove himself over a larger sample size before the Steelers can feel confident in his future prospects as a potential starter.

As Pittsburgh's prospective No. 3 signal caller, he's not going to have a ton of opportunities in that regard when it comes to demonstrating that type of growth during practice throughout the regular season.

He can still set himself up for success by taking strides in drills and displaying a heightened understanding of McCarthy's offense in the quarterback room, though, all while putting in the necessary extra work.

There's certainly a world in which Allar is viewed as a candidate to win the starting job next year even if the Steelers take a rookie early in the 2027 NFL Draft, and laying the groundwork for a positive outcome starts with continuing to make incremental progress over the next couple of months.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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