Rookie Drew Allar Impresses Mike McCarthy at the Steelers Camp Amidst Aaron Rodgers’ Absence

Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy evaluated third round rookie quarterback Drew Allar in a private session, making sure he has the tools to survive as a starter in the league.

Rookie Drew Allar Impresses Mike McCarthy at the Steelers Camp Amidst Aaron Rodgers’ Absence

Drew Allar and Mike McCarthy inside the circle (Image via Imago)

In Short
  • Drew Allar showcased his skills during rookie minicamp, impressing head coach Mike McCarthy.
  • Allar's performance included 35 snaps, demonstrating his understanding of various schemes.
  • Teammates praised Allar's confidence and skills, with some considering him an elite quarterback prospect.

Mike McCarthy gave most of his young players a break from practice on the eve of Mother’s Day, except one. Drew Allar, the third-round draft pick and formerly of Penn State, received the rare opportunity to display his skills during the rookie minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Saturday.

As the youngest quarterback on the Pittsburgh Steelers team and handpicked by McCarthy himself, Allar will be an important cog in the blue-chip organization for years to come. To ensure the 22-year-old has all the necessary tools, McCarthy hosted a private screening test, without the pads, of course.

After the session concluded, McCarthy appeared before the reporters with a wide smile on his face. It’s still early days, but the Pittsburgh native seems mighty impressed by Allar.

Allar was subjected to 35 total snaps (a lot for his first day). McCarthy mixed things up in the secondary to gauge Allar’s understanding of different schemes.

We pushed him. To go 35 snaps in a team drill, that’s pushing it, but he handled it. We kind of gauged it yesterday to see how we’d work through it, and he’s a big part of it.

Mike McCarthy said

One area in which Allar excelled in college was the timely usage of his legs. He wasn’t as explosive as Taylen Green or Haynes King, but it’s one skill that other Steelers quarterbacks don’t have. McCarthy made 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard go through the same drills a few weeks ago. However, Allar seems to be ahead of Howard in this case.

When you see the response from Friday’s practice, talk about it Saturday morning, and then for him to go out there and do it today, that’s encouraging. It’s really the same types of stuff that we went through with Will [Howard] four weeks ago. So, these are two young guys that have a lot of football in front of them, got a lot of work to do, but gosh, they’re definitely wired the right way, and they bring an excellent physical skill set.

McCarthy said

McCarthy made his name as a quarterback guru, developing players like Alex Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Dak Prescott, and now Howard and Allar. The Steelers are in a good spot.

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Steelers teammates also praise Drew Allar

Drafting Allar wasn’t really on the cards. Many veteran analysts agree that the Steelers took a chance with the local boy to send a message to Rodgers. The four-time NFL MVP capped off a decent year, leading the Steelers to a 10-7 season, but they were butchered in the playoffs by the Houston Texans.

Drew Allar impresses Mike McCarthy at the Steelers Camp
Drew Allar (Image via IMAGO)

Former head coach Mike Tomlin believes Rodgers will return because he’s obsessed with football, but it’s anyone’s guess what he will do. So, taking Allar sort of makes sense, even though they already drafted Howard one year earlier.

Allar made his presence felt during the day-long session. So much so that the fellow rookies already feel he’s ready to take on the big boys of the NFL.

Max Iheanachor, the Arizona State offensive lineman whom the Steelers had to select after missing out on wide receiver Makai Lemon, did not hesitate to call Allar “a dawg” after just a few days of wearing the same badge.

Just the confidence he has in the huddle, giving us the right plays, right checks. He’s a dawg. We’re ready to roll with him.

Max Iheanachor said via Tribe media

And it’s just Iheanachor who thinks that way. Germie Bernard, considered the Steelers’ best business in this year’s draft, may have just announced that Allar may be a better prospect than his former Alabama teammate Ty Simpson.

[Drew Allar’s] an elite quarterback. He knows how to put touch on the ball. He knows when to put the ball in the right spot and everything. He’s a great quarterback all around.

Bernard said

Excluding his injury-hit senior year with the Nittany Lions, Allar was on course to be a first-round draft pick. He still finished his college career with an impressive 26-9 record, threw over 7,400 yards, and accumulated 73 total touchdowns against 13 interceptions.

Steelers insider updates on Aaron Rodgers’ whereabouts

After Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles injury in week one of his New York Jets career, everyone thought it was over for him. Some would have loved to see him retire, but their hopes and dreams were dashed when he made a complete recovery and returned to the gridiron a year later.

Since then, Rodgers has played 33 games, put up 7200+ yards, and 52 touchdowns against 18 interceptions. Even at 42, he can still sling the ball better than most. That’s why the Steelers chose to exercise the rare UFA tender, even though Rodgers has no obligation to come back because his one-year $13 million deal already ended.

The Steelers are still waiting for an answer, and according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they may soon get one as the Super Bowl winner is currently in Pittsburgh.

Aaron Rodgers has been in town for a couple days, but the Steelers have not met with him yet and instead have been talking with his agent.

Dulac wrote

But let’s not speculate on anything at the moment. Until Rodgers shows up at the facility or tells Pat McAfee about his intentions, the Steelers still only have three quarterbacks on the roster, and McCarthy, in the past, has gone with this setup.

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