Steelers' Drew Allar Explanation Leaves Future Unknown

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new quarterback. After selecting Drew Allar with the 76th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the black and gold have two young, developmental pieces in their QB room.

They also hope Aaron Rodgers is returning this season. While they wait, though, they're going to try and develop both quarterbacks. Something head coach Mike McCarthy is sure he's capable of doing.

"Definitely," McCarthy said before the NFL Draft about being able to develop two young quarterbacks. "That speaks to the staff. There's a number of coaches that have been with me in the past. We pulled
up some old Tom Arth quarterback film from 2006 today. So, yeah, we're fine as far as the training environment that we're trying to establish. But, yeah, I think it's a position. We speak on it as being the most important position in football. I think it's important to always try to add to it if you can, but that's the fit."

Why did the Steelers select Allar, though? That's the big question every Pittsburgh sports fan wants to know. Was it that the team believes he's got the highest upside in the draft class? Or that he's physically equipped to develop at the NFL level after leaving college question marks.

Or maybe that the Steelers just really like his tape, or his attitude, or both. There has to be a reason, and you'd guess that reason was about Allar himself, right?

McCarthy liked his impression of Allar. He made sure to express that.

"I think, like anything, I believe in first impressions," McCarthy said. "I've had a chance to watch him play, meet him at the Combine, and really, all the quarterbacks that came into the meeting room did very well. I liked everything about him. I think he's young. I think he's got a lot of room for growth. He's a young man that can throw the ball with the best of them, and that's a great starting point to have."

But why they drafted him came off a little strange. Because to McCarthy, it's about the overall room, not just Allar.

" It's about the quarterback room," McCarthy said, explaining the selection. "I've always approached it that way. I learned it that way as a young coach. It's about training the whole room together. We had an opportunity to get on the field last week for two days with Mason [Rudolph]and Will [Howard], and now we add Drew. This is the goal. This is the outlook. We talked about it in my interview. Just from a philosophical standpoint, we want to have a healthy quarterback room that we're always developing. It's the most important position maybe in sports. It's very difficult. There's a lot that goes into that. We have a way of how the quarterback will be trained here. I've done it a long time. It's great to have two really young guys that I'm excited about."

Maybe that means competition is really coming for the next future starter role. Or that the team doesn't have a real outlook on Allar yet and is preparing for if Will Howard doesn't turn out to be the star they're hoping for.

No one knows, and after leaving the NFL Draft, Steelers fans are going to have to keep guessing about what the team's outlook is on their rookie quarterback - and the room as a whole.