Drew Allar struggled in big games, threw incompletions, and frequently threw interceptions at Penn State. But that didn’t stop the Pittsburgh Steelers from drafting him in the third round. With uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers’ future, Allar seemed to be a late-season ’emergency’ option for the team. However, as the Steelers practice this offseason, the former Penn State QB is now becoming a ‘future’ project for the team.

The Steelers’ rookie minicamp is underway, and the team’s QBs coach, Tom Arth, has set up special drills for Allar. He is throwing now, just with new mechanics, new cadence, and a renewed belief in building a new foundation. Head coach Mike McCarthy is also offering his pointers to Allar and personally overseeing him alongside Arth. The goal is to “uninstall” everything the former PSU QB has learned until now about playing under center.

“They’re essentially uninstalling everything he’s learned, and they’re re-uploading their own methods and fundamentals and mechanics with Allar,” ESPN’s Steelers reporter, Brooke Pryor, said on Wednesday. “I watched Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth be very intentional with Allar, who’s running at about half speed, working on his footwork throughout that practice… They’re working on widening his base, keeping him off his toes.”

Ever since Allar’s 2023 breakthrough season, some issues in his game have always persisted. He posted a 59.9% efficiency rating in 2023, showing his arm talent and poise early, throwing just 2 interceptions. The next season carried even higher expectations, and many analysts touted Drew Allar as the quarterback Penn State needed for a deep playoff run. That did happen, and he led the team to its first-ever playoff berth, but something was still missing.

Allar struggled in big games, including against Ohio State and Oregon. His accuracy dropped considerably in those games, and against Notre Dame, his last-minute interception eliminated Penn State from the national title race. Allar’s efficiency throughout the 2024 playoffs didn’t rise above 59%, and Penn State seemed to have no options on key plays. But somewhere amid those struggles, Penn State’s schemes weren’t really helping the 6’5″ and 235 lb QB.

“I’ve been known as the truth teller here at Penn State,” Former PSU interim head coach Terry Smith said about Allar’s struggles. “And I think unfairly to Drew, our system wasn’t built for him. It wasn’t made for him. Some of the decisions were taken out of his control.”

In the 2025 season, for instance, when PSU faced UCLA, Drew Allar wasn’t the reason for the loss. Instead, he was the reason Penn State remained in the game, completing 19 of his 26 passes and rushing for 78 yards. The real fault was in Penn State’s slow offense, which failed to get going in the first half in key games. Against UCLA, the offense recorded just 92 total yards and had already made a deep 27-7 ditch, which the team couldn’t quite overcome.

“Big Ten coaches were lukewarm on Allar but noted that he went through multiple systems and wasn’t always set up to succeed,” ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported. A Big 10 coach also remarked similarly about Allar and expressed optimism about his future with the Steelers. “Hopefully, [Pittsburgh] will be a coaching staff that can maximize what he’s good at. I’m not really sure that was the case [at Penn State],” the coach said to Rittenberg.

Despite the perceived struggles, Allar comes to the NFL after playing 44 college games and accumulating 2,252 snaps. He still can throw with effortless velocity and spin rate, which is huge in NFL-level windows. From his frame and running ability to his effectiveness in designed read options, Drew Allar offers a raw skill set that coaches can still mold and develop. That’s exactly what the Steelers are hoping for with him, training him in their offense and molding him to their needs. And, given history, it’s not a bad decision either.

Super Bowl finalists’ struggles should inspire Drew Allar

During the first summer of New England Patriots QB Drake Maye in the NFL, he had several instances of worrisome footwork, despite being a 3rd overall pick. Reports emerged that sixth-round draft pick Joe Milton III had outperformed him in “at least a couple of training camp” practices. Head coach Jerod Mayo even went on to declare a QB battle between Maye and Milton, which shouldn’t be the case for a 3rd overall pick.

Considering the talent Maye had, with time and patience, the coaches molded Maye. “If your feet are right and your eyes are right, you have a really good chance. He’s super talented. If we can get those things right, the ball’s going to come out where it’s supposed to,” QB coach T.C. McCartney said about Maye’s development before the 2024 season. Cut short to 2026? He became an MVP finalist while leading the team to the 2026 Super Bowl appearance. Can Allar have the same fate?

“I was really focusing on footwork in general and not really caring about the result, more about caring about the process,” Allar said about his training. “Obviously, I want to go out and complete every ball. But in those settings, Coach McCarthy told me not to really worry about the results, worry about building that foundation for myself.”

Allar had a constant battle with his footwork throughout his 4 years of college football. His base often deteriorated under pressure, and we saw an entirely different QB whenever it happened. Reverting to flat-footed deliveries became a norm in such occasions that didn’t quite target the receivers. Hopefully, with time, those issues will disappear as Mike McCarthy pays personal attention to Allar’s development.