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Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.

For the second straight year, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted a quarterback. Following last year’s selection of Will Howard in the sixth round at No. 185 overall, the Steelers drafted Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft at No. 76 overall. The question now becomes whether either one of them will earn the starting job in the future.

As for the upcoming season, that will ultimately be determined by whether Aaron Rodgers decides to return for what would be his 22nd NFL season and second with the Steelers. If he does not, the competition between Howard, Allar and possibly veteran Mason Rudolph — pending a trade — will be one to watch.

Allar’s draft selection, though, has become a major topic in Pittsburgh, with many believing that even if it frustrates some Steelers fans, he could become an integral part of the franchise down the road.

More Steelers On Heavy: Steelers 3rd-Round Pick Drew Allar Receives Comparison To Super Bowl Champion

Steelers Could Already Have Their 2027 Starter

The assumption is that Rodgers will return for another season, even at 42 years old. If that happens, Howard and, more importantly, Allar could spend a year developing behind him. ESPN’s Dan Graziano says it is not an overreaction to think Allar could then become the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2027.

“Dangerous as it can be to assume anything when it comes to Rodgers, let’s live in a world in which he’s not back with the Steelers in 2027,” Graziano wrote. “They could draft a quarterback for a third year in a row. They could go the veteran Band-Aid route for the fourth year in a row. They could go any number of ways, but the Steelers know they need to solve this QB problem in a real and lasting way at some point.”

This is where the hiring of new coach Mike McCarthy becomes pivotal.

“Allar was drafted three rounds earlier than Howard was. The Steelers seem to like Howard, but he was injured for most of his rookie year and might not be much further along in his development than Allar is. The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their head coach after Mike Tomlin stepped down, partly because they believe in McCarthy’s ability to work with and develop young quarterbacks.

“Can McCarthy bring Allar along this year even as he works to coach a contender with (presumably) Rodgers as the starting QB? It’s not out of the question. Knowing what we know about the Steelers’ QB situation at the moment, you can’t rule out the possibility of Allar starting in 2027.”

Drew Allar Could Finally Be In Right System Under Mike McCarthy

Allar is about as polarizing a draft pick as the Steelers have had in quite some time, even though he was selected in the third round. That is partly because some believe he was drafted too high and fear he could become another bust, despite scouts around the league being intrigued by his upside.

Allar did not have the best college career statistically, though he went 26-9 as a starter at Penn State. Still, Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt believes he will have a better career in the NFL.

“I’ll just continue to say — I think he could be a better pro than he was a college quarterback,” Klatt said. “Mainly because I think he’s going to fit the system a lot better [with the Steelers] than what he did at Penn State.”

Allar had two different offensive coordinators in two very different systems during his four seasons at Penn State. Across 45 appearances, he threw for 7,402 yards, 61 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Now the hope in Pittsburgh is that under McCarthy, with a year of development, Allar can finally become the quarterback many believed he always could be.