Perhaps the Pittsburgh Steelers had something up their sleeves with the selection of Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL Draft. Maybe, just maybe they knew Aaron Rodgers was returning for his final season in the NFL and saw an opportunity for the former Penn State star quarterback to learn from a playing legend.
Entering the NFL following a disappointing end to his college career, Allar has much to prove in his journey at the professional level. With prototypical size, arm talent and a highly regarded competitiveness, Allar will need to work on his accuracy, mechanics and overall field awareness to become an NFL-caliber starter.
While the hope is new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has the ability to help Allar put it all together, there is a greater hope that learning from a pocket technician like Rodgers could help Allar transform his raw talents into the consistent level of play needed to become the Steelers' future at quarterback. As far as how Rodgers is already impacting Allar, the rookie is embracing the knowledge the veteran is dishing out.
Drew Allar is already benefiting from Aaron Rodgers' guidance
“With me, specifically, he’s during practice to talk through some drill work or things to focus on through different drills,” Allar told the media on June 9. “In the film room, [he’s] just asking me questions of what I was seeing, what I was looking at and why. [He’s] giving me a lot of good knowledge. I’m really excited to keep learning from him. Obviously he’s one of the best to ever do it in this game. So the opportunity I have is one I’m not going to take for granted.”
Of course, Rodgers' presence alone won't suddenly turn Allar into the Steelers' franchise quarterback. Given where he was drafted, the team is optimistic, yet realistic as to the potential of Allar. Again, the size and natural talent are there. However, coming off a broken left ankle and an up-and-down college career, Allar will need to improve his mobility and processing speed to get himself back to where he was when he was considered a first-round talent.
That's what makes training camp so important for a developmental quarterback like Allar. He has absolutely no pressure on him playing behind Rodgers. He can also sit back and learn from watching and embrace the veteran star as another coach on the practice field. A player who has experienced just about everything during his two decades in the NFL could give Allar the confidence he needs to show the Steelers their third-round gamble was actually a well-thought-out plan.
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