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Mike Tannenbaum with Miami in 2016.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a major move during the third round of last week’s NFL Draft by selecting Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. While things remain uncertain around future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh now has three other quarterbacks in the fold with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Allar.

Former NFL GM and current ESPN analyst spoke on Wednesday via The Pat McAfee Show about Allar and why it was a good choice to draft him. In fact, he believes that the 22-year-old signal-caller has plenty of upside at the start of his NFL career.

Drew Allar Could Be the Future of the Pittsburgh Steelers

GettyQB Drew Allar guided Penn State to multiple 10-win seasons during his collegiate career.

Here is what Mike Tannenbaum had to say about Allar during his appearance with Pat McAfee earlier this week:

“He looks the part. He has a great arm…He has high upside. Coach Parcells used to say all the time that when you draft a quarterback, not only do you want starts and you want the physical aspect, but you want to know what the upside is, and he has great upside.”

Tannenbaum went on to mention that if new head coach Mike McCarthy can invest a year into Allar, perhaps the team may have something in the Pennsylvania native. During his four-year career in Happy Valley, with three of those years coming as the starter, he threw over 60 touchdowns and completed over 63% of his passes. Standing at 6’5″ and weighing close to 230 pounds, Allar has the chance to shine if he develops properly under McCarthy. Despite Allar suffering a season-ending ankle injury midway through 2025, Pittsburgh believes in his future.

Drew Allar Has an Uphill Battle Ahead of Him

GettyIf Aaron Rodgers returns to the Steelers, Drew Allar could be fourth on the quarterback depth chart.

Of course, Allar is not ready to start in the NFL. That is why he was drafted in the third round by a team that doesn’t necessarily need him to start right away. Again, should Rodgers decide to return for a 22nd NFL season and second with the Steelers, he will be the starter. After recording 25 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions en route to guiding the team to its first AFC North title in five years last season, he should be the team’s answer at the position for 2026.

Behind Rodgers, in this scenario, would likely be veteran backup Mason Rudolph, unless he is traded. Then Howard, who already has a year under his belt in the Steel City, would likely be the next quarterback in line.

While the future of Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation is still unknown, Steelers fans should be happy knowing that McCarthy and Co. have plenty of options to choose from both in the present and in the future. Plus, McCarthy’s long history as a quarterback guru in this league, particularly with Rodgers in Green Bay for nearly 13 seasons, should give fans even more hope for the future of their team.