Steelers send clear Aaron Rodgers message with Drew Allar selection

The Pittsburgh Steelers still don't know if Aaron Rodgers is going to return for another season.

However, they won't just sit around and wait for him to make up his mind, and even though they will welcome him with open arms, they need to think about the future.

That's why they took Drew Allar in the third round of the draft. He may not play a single snap in 2026, but the Steelers are sending a clear message: They're ready to move on.

Steelers take the most intriguing QB prospect in Drew Allar

At this same time last season, Allar was one of the consensus top-10 picks and best quarterback prospects for this year.

A disappointing season and a season-ending injury took a massive hit on his draft stock, thus leading some to think he would fall to the fourth or fifth round.

Clearly, the Steelers didn't want him to be the one who got away, and knowing that they should have at least one year to develop him, this was a solid move by GM Omar Khan.

Allar has all the physical tools to be a successful NFL quarterback, even drawing comparisons to Josh Allen at one point. The technique and decision-making need refining, but that's what Mike McCarthy is there for.

Rodgers doesn't take these moves lightly. The Jordan Love pick signaled the beginning of the end for him in Green Bay, especially given that they didn't keep him in the loop.

Whether he's been in touch with the Steelers is anybody's guess, so it's even harder to know if they gave him a heads-up of some sort.

Whatever the case, Allar could be in a great situation in 2027, whether it's taking over Will Howard, Mason Rudolph or — even better for his development — a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.