Drew Allar hasn’t been around the NFL long, but the rookie quarterback has already noticed something about how the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare their quarterbacks. The 22-year-old says the coaching staff’s detailed game-plan work has helped him play without second-guessing, and he volunteered that this level of preparation isn’t something a player should assume happens everywhere.
Allar arrived as the No. 76 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after four seasons at Penn State, where he threw for 7,402 yards and 61 touchdowns in 45 games.
Allar’s preseason featured three very different outings. He was excellent against Green Bay, completing 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, then went 11-of-23 for 110 yards against the Jets. In the preseason finale against Buffalo, Allar finished 9-of-18 for 88 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
After the Buffalo game, Allar’s first preseason as a pro was officially in the books. His three appearances gave Pittsburgh a useful early look at the rookie, with the Green Bay performance showing his upside and the final two games giving the coaching staff more developmental tape to work through once the regular season begins.
Drew Allar credits Mike McCarthy and Pittsburgh Steelers coaches for detailed preparation
Allar’s most revealing answer came when he was asked how comfortable he feels running the offense. That’s an important step for a young quarterback who sometimes played too fast at Penn State, especially when pressure sped up his feet and his reads.
“On the field, the biggest thing is, I feel really confident in the offense, in terms of how to operate it as a quarterback, not second-guessing myself when I'm out there,” Allar said.
Drew Allar spoke to the media following our game against the Bills. @Acrisure pic.twitter.com/ZE4zflyRYE
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) August 28, 2026
That lines up with the work Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth have emphasized since rookie minicamp. The trio of preseason games has shown both the arm talent and the cleanup work ahead.
“The coaches do a great job of preparing us for these games, because I know it's not like that everywhere,” Allar said. “Like, you kind of get the game plan last minute, but the coaching staff has been great with that, and being very detailed with the game plan, making it easy on whoever's out there just to go out and play fast and execute.”
For a developmental quarterback learning to trust his feet, timing, and reads, getting the plan early enough to stop hesitating is exactly what the staff should be giving him.
With the preseason now finished, Allar’s next chance to build on that progress will come in practice as Pittsburgh shifts its focus to the regular season.
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