Andrew Buller-Russ
For the third offseason in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t know who their starting quarterback will be when the next season kicks off. While all signs point to Aaron Rodgers returning for a second season, especially now that his old Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, has been hired to lead the Steelers, he’s only a short-term fix.
Eventually, the Steelers need a long-term plan in place behind their 42-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback. Reports suggest the Steelers like 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, but hitching your future to the 185th overall pick in a draft is never ideal for a team that never expects to miss the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are likely to continue evaluating potential future franchise quarterbacks, whether Rodgers returns or not. Now, they’re being connected to a former top QB prospect who’s set to enter the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to PennLive, the Steelers met with Penn State quarterback Drew Allar at the NFL combine this week. Before this past college football season started, Allar was being looked upon as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Yet, a rough year that concluded with a season-ending ankle injury after six games has caused Allar’s draft stock to tank. He’s not even viewed as someone who could emerge as a fringe first-round pick.
However, the strong-armed QB with legitimate NFL size at 6-foot-5 could be a rapid riser during the pre-draft process. Allar is the only quarterback that the Steelers are known to have met with thus far.
Related: Aaron Rodgers Spoke to Pittsburgh Steelers After Mike McCarthy Hiring
