The Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to find a proper replacement for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but third-round pick Drew Allar will likely have his opportunity in the coming years. Selected out of Penn State, the rookie had a promising 2024 but took a step back in 2025 as he battled injuries and ineffectiveness. This poor season caused him to drop into the third round and, as of this posting, puts him in a three-way battle for the starting job with veterans Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
If Aaron Rodgers re-signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the four-time NFL MVP will be the unquestioned starter in Pittsburgh. However, Rodgers is playing on a year-to-year basis at this stage in his career, so Allar should have the opportunity to win the starting job before the end of his rookie contract. While only time will tell how he performs, Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have high hopes for Drew Allar.
“He never jumped off the page to me,” Roethlisberger said during a recent episode of his podcast. “Is he big? Can he move? Can he throw? Yeah, but there was never a time I was live ‘Whoa.'”
Steelers Legend Ben Roethlisberger Is Unimpressed With Drew Allar
Quite frankly, Roethlisberger’s evaluation lines up with the general consensus on Drew Allar. Nobody denies that he has the physical tools to be, at worst, a league-average quarterback, but he has yet to put it all together. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to do it right now. Even if Rodgers doesn’t return, the duo of Rudolph and Howard is capable of keeping the ship afloat. Rudolph is the definition of a bridge quarterback, while Howard showed some promise in the preseason. If Allar isn’t ready to go, these two can start in his place.
If he can put it all together, however, he could be Pittsburgh’s best quarterback since Roethlisberger. That admittedly isn’t saying much, but it’s been quite a long time since the Steelers had any long-term hope at the position. Drew Allar might not work out, but he’s an exciting player to monitor as the Steelers embrace the first year of the post-Tomlin Era.
