The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback situation is settled for the 2025 season now that Aaron Rodgers is in the building, but the future of the position is still far from clear. After failing to make 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett work as the QB of the future, the Steelers have cycled through veteran options in an effort to remain competitive.
Whether it's been Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, or Russell Wilson, it's been a mostly disappointing experience for fans when watching the offense in recent seasons. That trend will hopefully be broken with Rodgers in 2025, but he is nothing more than a stopgap option like the others.
In a recent mock draft by NFL Spin Zone, the Steelers finally pull the trigger on another potential franchise QB in Penn State's Drew Allar.
While Allar has plenty of talent, he would be a huge risk unless he drastically improves in several key areas.
Pittsburgh Steelers' mock draft selection of Drew Allar should would be a huge gamble
Having watched every game Drew Allar played last season, I understand why he is a projected early pick in next year's draft. He has prototypical size and arm talent for the position, and he was fantastic at keeping the ball out of harm's way throughout the year. His overall accuracy also took a big leap from his redshirt freshman season in 2023.
Even with the traits and substantial improvement, the former five-star recruit still lacks the decision-making and creativity that many top prospects have in the modern game. While he doesn't turn the ball over often, when he has it has been at the worst times. Look no further than his brutal interception against Notre Dame in the College Football Playoffs.
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Plays like that, combined with a lack of athleticism and questionable feel for the game, and the Steelers could end up with another miss at QB.
Allar made the wise decision to return to school in 2025, where his Nittany Lions are among the favorites to make a National Championship run. If he can make a similar leap this year, he could easily play his way into being a legitimate top prospect worthy of a high first-round pick.
If he stagnates in his development or even regresses, his future as a franchise QB will be in serious doubt. Even if the NFL still has plenty of evaluators who overvalue size and arm talent, there have been too many prospects with similar issues to the Penn State passer who have flamed out in recent years.
If the Steelers do end up picking Allar as their next franchise QB, fans should be wary until proven otherwise.