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NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah argued the Pittsburgh Steelers should start rookie Drew Allar if Aaron Rodgers doesn't return for the 2026 NFL season.

The calendar flipped to May on Friday, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have an answer from Aaron Rodgers on the 2026 NFL season. But the Steelers have answered a different offseason inquiry — will the team draft a quarterback? General manager Omar Khan did that with Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round.

The Steelers have added Allar to their quarterback room, which includes Mason Rudolph and Will Howard this offseason.

If Rodgers doesn’t return, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah argued Allar should be the team’s starter.

“I think you could have an open competition with the guys they have,” Jeremiah said on NFL Network’s Path to the Draft. “But to me, Allar is the one who’s the most talented player on their roster at that position. I would roll with him.

“I know he’s a rookie, but he’s got a ton of ability. He’s played a ton of football.

“His career [at Penn State] didn’t end up the way he would’ve liked, but there are stretches of good play. Gotta clean up his footwork a little bit. But, to me, that’s what I’d like to see [Allar start].”

The Steelers selected Allar at No. 76 overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That pick was the one Pittsburgh received from the Dallas Cowboys in the George Pickens trade last May.

Ironically, the Steelers also took Rudolph at No. 76 overall in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh grabbed Howard at No. 185 overall in the sixth last year.

Why the Steelers Should Start Drew Allar in 2026

Allar having the most upside is an obvious reason the Steelers should start him this fall in the event Rodgers doesn’t return. But there’s another, arguably even bigger, reason.

The 2027 quarterback class is expected to be loaded with talent. That can change over the course of a year. But if that does prove to be the case, the Steelers may want to target a quarterback in the first round during 2027.

In the best case scenario, the Steelers will do that after knowing whether or not Allar could be the solution behind center.

“Next year, they’re gonna more than likely be in the quarterback market in the draft,” added Jeremiah. “I’d like to know what I have in Drew Allar before we have to make that decision.”

The Steelers kind of had that issue with Howard this spring. Because the sixth-rounder suffered a training camp injury last summer, the team didn’t get to see Howard in the preseason.

There’s a lot of hype around Howard. But he also was a mid-Day 3 pick likely for a reason. Ultimately, the jury is still out on the quarterback because he’s never been on the field for a game.

The Steelers would be wise to avoid that same situation with Allar. A young quarterback playing and learning first-hand is also one of the better ways to learn quickly.

Will Aaron Rodgers Return for Steelers?

Jeremiah’s answer came under the assumption Rodgers would not be playing in Pittsburgh during 2026. Interestingly, though, one could argue Jeremiah’s final point is actually a reason the Steelers shouldn’t bring back the veteran quarterback.

If Rodgers returns, he’s obviously going to start. That prevents Allar from playing, which means the Steelers wouldn’t really learn what they have in the third-round pick.

It’s rather clear, though, that the Steelers still have their eyes set on Rodgers coming back. The team placed the rarely used unrestricted free agency tender on the veteran quarterback this week.

That essentially gives Rodgers a timeline to make a decision on the 2026 season. If he isn’t signed with a team by July 22, the only organization he can join is the Steelers.

Pittsburgh won the AFC North for the first time since 2020 with Rodgers starting 16 games last season. But in the playoffs, the Steelers suffered their seventh consecutive defeat.

The team’s roster could be better in 2026 than last year. It’s not clear, though, that without better quarterback play if the Steelers will become turn Super Bowl contenders this fall.

And with Rodgers back, the Steelers will again delay the inevitable of eventually starting an inexperienced quarterback behind center.