Steelers Felt Like Drew Allar Was a '1st-Round Pick' in NFL Draft, Mike McCarthy Says

On the heels of a strong preseason debut against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Drew Allar received high praise from his head coach.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said they felt like Allar was a "first-round pick" when they selected him in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft.

Allar was the third quarterback in the game for the Steelers after Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. The former Penn State star came in late in the third quarter and played four offensive possessions, including the kneel down at the end of the game.

He finished 10-of-13 for 158 yards with three total touchdowns (one rushing), no interceptions and no sacks.

Much has been made about the state of Pittsburgh's quarterback situation even with Rodgers returning this season. He led the Steelers to a playoff appearance last season, but many advanced stats rated him as one of the worst starters in the league.

Allar's spot on the roster, based on the rotation McCarthy used Thursday, seemed tenuous because he was the fourth quarterback behind Rodgers, Rudolph and Howard.

Given McCarthy's comments today, Allar would seem likely to move up. It will be interesting to see how much run he gets in the second preseason game, which is traditionally when the starters receive their most reps to get ready for the regular season.

B/R's NFL scouting department had Allar ranked as the third-best quarterback in the 2026 class and No. 103 overall prospect. Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simspon, who both went in the first round, were the only quarterbacks ahead of him.

Allar appeared in 45 games over four seasons with Penn State, throwing for 7,402 yards, 61 touchdowns and a 63.2 completion percentage.

The last Penn State quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team was Sean Clifford in 2023 when he was a fifth-round pick by the Packers. Trace McSorley is the most recent Penn State draftee who started a game at quarterback when he played against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16 of the 2022 season.