Jason Burgos
A new report revealed that some inside the Pittsburgh Steelers organization feel rookie quarterback Drew Allar is very similar to a certain Super Bowl-winning QB. And that is a good and bad thing.
While all signs point to the Steelers eventually coming to terms on a new contract with future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers to be their starting signal caller in 2026, the franchise did invest a draft pick last month on the position. With their selection in the third round (76th overall), Pittsburgh took Penn State QB Drew Allar.
Going in Round 3 shows the upside Steelers talent evaluators see in him, considering he only played in six games last season after breaking his ankle. Well, on a Saturday morning edition of SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler added to the high hopes with an interesting reveal.
The NFL insider claimed Allar “reminds one team official of a young Joe Flacco.” Steelers decision-makers are high on his size, smarts, and his NFL-ready arm. The big knocks on his game are his issues with decision-making in the moment and his footwork.
However, Fowler notes that many inside the organization believe new head coach Mike McCarthy is great at QB development and can get Allar to where he needs to be to one day be a starter.
Drew Allar’s comparison to Joe Flacco is good… and bad
There are far worse players to be compared to than Flacco. The quarterback has hung around in the league for 18 seasons. Playing for six different teams. He has been on quite a few playoff teams, and he played a notable role in the Baltimore Ravens‘ last Super Bowl win in 2012. He also has a great arm, and it’s why he continues to get jobs in the NFL at 41-years-old.
But a lot of fans also know the less attractive parts of Flacco’s game. During his prime, he was sure to post double-digit interceptions every year and had thrown for 25 or more touchdowns in a season just twice. Since 2018, he has become one of the league’s prominent backups for good reason because while he is a good starter in the short-term, the warts in his game always show up eventually.
Drew Allar getting compared to Joe Flacco isn’t terrible. But for Steelers fans hoping maybe he can be developed into a franchise QB, it won’t be the best thing they’ve heard about the rookie QB so far.
