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Steelers' QB Drew Allar.

With the 12th pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, No. 76 overall, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. It had been rumored they would likely draft a quarterback at some point as they await word on whether Aaron Rodgers will return for another season.

No one quite knows what Rodgers is going to do at this point. But even if he does return, he will now have yet another young quarterback by his side, along with last year’s sixth-round pick, Will Howard. Veteran Mason Rudolph, on the other hand, is said to be a potential trade candidate, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Nonetheless, Allar comes as perhaps the most polarizing pick in the entire draft and was met with mixed reactions after the Steelers made the selection.

But those who believe in him think he could become something special if he can put it all together.

Drew Allar Drew Major Pre-Draft Praise With Comparison To AFC North Rival QB

Allar was said to impress coaches during his pre-draft interviews, with one NFC quarterbacks coach even saying he could resemble Joe Flacco, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“I went into my Zoom interview with him thinking he’d be kind of a dope, like the things that were happening on film. But he was incredible. Blew me away with his interview,” an NFC QBs coach said. “His knowledge of what they did at Penn State, his ability to call plays, all of it. He’s got a chance to be like a Joe Flacco. He’s big, he’s strong, he runs straight ahead fast. But does he have Joe Flacco’s s— to him?”

One of those visits was with the Steelers, though it is unknown if any of their coaches felt the same way. His draft selection, however, is a pretty strong indication of how they viewed him.

The Flacco comparison is interesting. Flacco is about to enter his 19th NFL season and is headed back to play for the Steelers’ AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals.

From 2008-2017, Flacco held onto his starting role with the Baltimore Ravens, winning a Super Bowl in the process. Since then, he has bounced around the league, playing for five different teams. Overall, he is 107-94 as a starter and continues to be a reliable backup who often ends up starting a handful of games each year.

Like Flacco, who is 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds with a big arm, Allar is similar at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds and can launch it downfield when needed.

“He’s a big, strong physical player. He has big hands. He has a strong arm. He’s built to last. And I think that when you’re talking about playing in the elements and playing the physical brand football that it is in the AFC North, you need a guy like that. And Drew certainly fits that,” Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth said, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

Steelers Betting On Mike McCarthy To Develop Drew Allar

For Allar, it is about using his tools and putting it all together to become the type of player many believe he can be. That is where new head coach Mike McCarthy is hoping to step in.

“Picking Allar signals the Steelers’ belief in McCarthy’s ability to develop quarterbacks, because Allar is far from a finished product,” Pryor wrote. “But at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds with big hands and long arms, Allar has the measurables valued by the veteran head coach. The quarterback guru, though, will have his work cut out for him as he’ll have to work to develop both Allar and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard.”

It is doubtful that Allar gets his shot at the starting job this season, whether Rodgers returns or not. At least the good news is that Arth does not believe the Steelers drafting Allar will affect Rodgers’ decision in any way, per Pryor.