The first week of Steelers training camp has already shown why Pittsburgh took Drew Allar with the No. 76 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft: the rookie looks like a rookie, but he’s also giving the offense something it has badly needed.
Allar, 22, has had his share of rough moments. He’s thrown errant passes and made a few questionable decisions.
None of that is surprising this early. What has stood out is the way he’s attacking the field, especially in the areas Steelers fans have wanted to see opened up for years.
He’s been slinging the ball down the field.
That alone is a noticeable shift from the Steelers’ recent offensive identity. Since Matt Canada was the offensive coordinator, the middle of the field often felt like a place the team wanted to avoid altogether.
The approach under former head coach Mike Tomlin was built around caution and limiting mistakes. New head coach Mike McCarthy appears to be working from a different script.
So far, Allar has been ripping throws deep down the field and between the hashes. Not every rep has been clean, but the willingness is there, and that matters. It’s the kind of early sign Pittsburgh needed to see from a quarterback still figuring out the pro game.
That aggressiveness is especially notable because one of the biggest knocks on Allar during his four seasons at Penn State was that he could be inconsistent and timid throwing over the middle. For all his physical gifts - he’s listed at 6’5’’ and 228 pounds with a massive arm - he didn’t always play like someone eager to challenge tight windows.
That hasn’t been the story at Steelers camp. On multiple occasions, Allar has fired the ball deep down the middle and driven it into spots that Tomlin likely would have considered too risky. It’s a far cry from the cautious version of the position Pittsburgh has been used to seeing.
Of course, there’s a line here. Too much aggression can get a quarterback in trouble, especially with all the traffic that lives over the middle of the field.
Turnovers can pile up fast when those throws go wrong. Just ask Jameis Winston.
But Allar doesn’t sound like a quarterback who needs to back off right now. Training camp is exactly the place to test those throws, learn which ones work at the NFL level, and figure out which ones don’t. As Tomlin used to say, he’d rather have to tell his players “woah” than “sick ‘em”.
Confidence is part of the equation, too. McCarthy won’t want Allar rattled by a few interceptions in camp or the preseason.
At the same time, these are the kinds of throws that can help a young passer grow into the job. The worst-case scenario for Pittsburgh would be watching him become more hesitant once the games count.
Allar still has plenty to learn, and there’s a long road ahead. But the early aggression he’s showing with the football is a strong sign for the Steelers, and a reminder of just how high his ceiling can be if this keeps up.
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