Steelers 22-Year-Old Rookie Quarterback Shows Promise After 2026 Rookie Minicamp
The Pittsburgh Steelers concluded their 2026 rookie minicamp on Saturday, May 9th, marking the first time their rookies donned black and gold. 12 veterans, 16 rookies, and 13 tryout players were present, with the only quarterback being 2026 third-round pick Drew Allar. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy chose Allar to be the only quarterback present, allowing him to work one-on-one with the young signal-caller for the weekend. The former Penn State quarterback has so far received mixed opinions and reviews from around the NFL. Overall, McCarthy was happy with what he saw out of all of his rookies, saying, “It’s been an extremely productive couple of days here. Very pleased with the amount of work, the quality of work that we’ve been able to accomplish with these young men.” The Super Bowl-winning coach let players go home after Saturday’s practice, so they could be with their families for Mother’s Day, but they will be back alongside the veterans on Monday.
McCarthy’s admiration for the rookies stretches to Allar. The 62-year-old head coach said, “He's a physically gifted thrower of the football, but he's no different than any other young quarterback that I've had the opportunity to work with. Everybody teaches footwork a little differently.” Footwork has been Allar’s biggest concern, with a clip recently going viral from the rookie minicamp of him running through a drill slowly and with underdeveloped footwork. The six-foot-five quarterback revealed that footwork has been a point of emphasis during minicamp, stating that he’s “starting from the ground up” at least in that area. While there has been recent pushback about the Steelers working with two young quarterbacks, Allar and Will Howard, McCarthy has shown his interest and belief in both. The Aaron Rodgers situation is still up in the air, as the four-time MVP recently visited Pittsburgh. There have been reports that the Steelers are losing patience with how long Rodgers is taking. Whether Rodgers re-signs or not, Allar has impressed McCarthy, known for being one of the best quarterback teachers in the NFL, and footwork is something that can be adjusted over time.
In addition to Allar turning the heads of McCarthy, as well as Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio, he has received praise from Pittsburgh’s second-round pick, Germie Bernard. The Alabama wide receiver obviously worked closely with Allar, as he was the only quarterback present, but great chemistry was built alongside the former five-star quarterback’s technical development. Bernard said, “He’s a great quarterback. I met him at the combine, and we were able to throw together a little bit, so I kind of already knew what he was bringing, but you see what he does on the field. Just being able to be with him was a great connection.” Allar has shown his excitement and readiness to play for the Steelers, knowing that if Rodgers returns, he would have to wait a year to start. The quarterback out of Penn State has already grown tremendously over the past two days, crediting McCarthy as he says, “Anytime you can talk to Coach McCarthy one-on-one, especially when it's about quarterback play and fundamentals, I feel like I've grown a lot and really just understand his philosophy a lot more the last two days. I know what I need to work on and how to work it.” There’s a lot for Allar to work on, especially with his footwork and technique, but he is confident he could be the future of Pittsburgh when the time comes.
