The Pittsburgh Steelers thought they had found a new franchise QB in Drew Allar. Drafted 76th overall this year from Penn State, he was meant to be their Ben Roethlisberger replacement. However, as the season approaches, there are worrying updates coming from the camp. 

Mike McCarthy may have to dig deep to get the best out of Allar, per Steelers insider Mike DeFabo.  “This is a guy who’s not ready to play at the NFL level,” DeFabo said on the Pomp and Joe Show on Friday.

“They need to do considerable work with some of his mechanics, specifically his lower half and his footwork,” he added. 

The Steelers selected Allar because of his raw talent they believed could not be taught. With his 6-foot-5 frame and arm strength, Allar, a five-star recruit, had everything the Steelers could want on paper from a potential future star quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers is ready to take his final NFL bow in Pittsburgh this year. Moreover, Mason Rudolph is set to hold down the veteran backup role. Pittsburgh also invested a 2025 sixth-round pick in young QB Will Howard. So, they view this stacked QB room as a healthy competitive environment.

This setup naturally puts the two young quarterbacks in competition within new coach Mike McCarthy’s development system.

But DeFabo observed several inaccurate throws from the rookie during early workouts. He stated that the young signal-caller simply has not looked sharp yet and that the rookie has the frame of a physically imposing athlete, but is still in need of heavy coaching.

“He’s not, to me, looked great. He’s looked like a guy that is 6-5 and has 10-inch hands and has an unbelievable arm, but also needs a lot of work,” he said.

The jury remains out on Howard as well. His rookie campaign took a major hit after an unfortunate injury sidelined him for the entire 2025 preseason. Both Howard and Allar are expected to handle most of the workload during the 2026 preseason. Unsurprisingly, their tape from those games will likely dictate how the Steelers view the future of the position.

Mike McCarthy’s Records Prove He’s the Best to Train the QB

First-year Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is essentially building from the ground up with rookie quarterback Drew Allar. The QB was once firmly in the conversation as a potential Day 1 draft pick. However, Allar chose to return to the Big Ten for a final collegiate season in 2025. The decision came after a stellar 2024 campaign in which he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns.

McCarthy has emphasized that fixing the rookie’s footwork remains a top priority. In his view, refining body mechanics can boost Allar’s processing speed on the field. 

“It gives you the ability to play faster,” McCarthy told ESPN’s Brook Pryor. “[It] gives you the ability to transition in and out of the challenges that occur throughout quarterback play. We’re teaching him different than the way he’s played before.

“He hasn’t spent a lot of time under center. He’s a run-and-shoot guy in high school. He’s played from nine yards deep. So there’s just a lot of newness to him, but it’s just like anything. When you see the response from Friday’s practice, talk about it Saturday morning, and then for him to go out there and do it today, that’s encouraging.”

With 26 years of NFL coaching under his belt, McCarthy has experience in mentoring QBs like Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott. Now, the coach finds himself with a new project of developing the former Penn State star.