Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

QB DREW ALLAR

Experience/age: Rookie, 22

Contract status: Rookie contract is not yet signed but will be a standard four-year deal

The past: A five-star incoming high school recruit out of Ohio, Allar spent four seasons at Penn State. The final three of those seasons, he was the starter — not counting the Nittany Lions’ final seven games of 2025 after he suffered a broken ankle. Allar was 26-9 as a starter in college, helping Penn State to the Big Ten championship game and College Football Playoff semifinals for the 2024 season.

Allar finished his college career with a 63.2% completion percentage, 61 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions in addition to 732 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Allar was taken with the first of three Steelers’ third-round picks in April, going at No. 76 overall with the selection acquired in the George Pickens trade with the Dallas Cowboys.

2026 outlook: Throughout the spring, Allar served as the No. 4 QB behind Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard and Mason Rudolph, but he is assured of making the 53-man roster. The Steelers are committed to devoting resources to his development in the hope he can be their future starter. New coach Mike McCarthy is known for his work with quarterbacks, and the staff also incudes offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio, quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and game management/quarterbacks assistant Tim Berbenich.

The group began by re-working Allar’s footwork, and during this past week of organized team activities when Rodgers and Rudolph were excused, Allar was getting plenty of practice reps.

Always blessed with ideal size (6-foot-5, 228 pounds), elite arm strength and underrated athleticism, Allar has all the tools to succeed as an NFL franchise quarterback. As recently as last summer, it was not outlandish for analysts to predict he could be a top-five pick. The Steelers ended up getting him much later on in the draft, albeit in large part because of Allar’s subpar play last season. The organization will give him a chance to show he can reach his massive potential. It just won’t happen in 2026, if it happens at all.