Drew Allar

The Steelers expect Aaron Rodgers (age 42) to re-sign as QB1, with Will Howard as the second-year developmental option also competing for the backup role. Allar is likely Pittsburgh's QB3 in 2026, making any meaningful fantasy production extremely unlikely in year one.

Coaches are reworking his footwork and lower-half mechanics, with reports calling him 'not ready to play at the NFL level'; early OTA reviews have been uninspiring, reinforcing the pre-draft ceiling questions that pushed him to Round 3.

Allar broke his left ankle vs Northwestern in October 2025, requiring surgery and ending his Penn State senior season early. He is reportedly on a full recovery track, but camp readiness and whether he enters 2026 at full mobility should be monitored closely.

Allar was a highly recruited prospect who never fully met expectations at Penn State, drawing criticism for inconsistent play across his four-year career. His third-round draft position reflects genuine evaluator uncertainty about his ceiling as a future NFL starter.

Will Howard, not Allar, is the in-house favorite to inherit the job if Rodgers departs after 2026 — McCarthy is a Howard believer, so Allar's succession path is contested rather than clear.

Allar is transitioning to far more under-center work than he played at Penn State, lengthening his realistic development runway before he could contribute.

Aaron Rodgers is 42 years old and on a short-term arrangement; Pittsburgh is actively building its post-Rodgers QB plan. Allar was drafted specifically as a developmental heir, and if he outperforms Will Howard through camp and preseason, he could lock up the long-term starter role.

Rodgers is on a one-year deal at age 42, so the QB1 job almost certainly opens in 2027; if Allar wins the ensuing competition he steps into a roster with DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman at WR.

Pittsburgh's coaching staff under Mike McCarthy has a meaningful track record of QB development, and the Steelers invested genuine Day 2 capital (pick 76) in Allar — signaling organizational belief that goes beyond a pure depth pick.

At approximately 22 years old, Allar has the developmental timeline that dynasty managers covet in QB prospects. QBs drafted in rounds 2-4 who land on stable franchises with clear succession plans do occasionally emerge as legitimate long-term starters.

Young QB (22) — still in value appreciation phase