Drew Allar’s first preseason turn with the Steelers gave fans plenty to talk about, and it didn’t take long for the conversation to drift back to Penn State and James Franklin.
The rookie quarterback, selected 76th overall in this year’s draft, made a strong first impression Thursday night. Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, then added a rushing score on two carries. He said the performance felt like the product of work done before the game even kicked off.
“It’s a huge confidence boost, but I think I came into the game confident just because of the preparation and everything that has gone on in the last two weeks down in Latrobe,” Allar said, via ESPN. “Coach McCarthy and the whole offensive staff put together a really concise game plan … just calling stuff that they know I’m comfortable with and just allowing us to go out and play fast. I feel like they did a great job of putting me in a position to go out and be successful.”
That showing immediately revived old frustrations for some Penn State fans, who felt Allar’s college career was capped by Franklin’s approach. Allar left Happy Valley with 7,402 passing yards and 61 touchdowns, but his Steelers debut had social media users arguing that a different system might have unlocked even more.
“Drew Allar out here making James Franklin look really bad. Hey, I’ll admit I’ve never been sold on Allar. But hopefully all he really needed was to get away from Franklin’s [expletive] offense,” one fan wrote on X.
“I know it’s the preseason, but Drew Allar is showing just how bad of a coach James Franklin was at Penn State,” a second fan said.
“Just look at the differences in Drew Allar’s body language & mechanics,” another person commented. “You go from James Franklin - LOL - to Mike McCarthy People drag McCarthy… but he really is a QB Whisperer.”
Even with that kind of debut, Allar isn’t in line to jump the Steelers’ depth chart right away. Aaron Rodgers is set as the Week 1 starter, while former Ohio State star Will Howard is listed as the No. 2 quarterback. For now, the expectation is that Allar will spend the season developing behind the scenes before getting a chance to compete for the starting job in 2027.
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The discussion around who stays and who goes has also grown louder because the debate is not simply about keeping four arms around. Andrew Fillipponi and former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have both gone on record favoring Howard over Rudolph for retention and playing time, which adds another layer to an already tricky decision. For a team trying to map out its future behind center, the next move could say plenty about how it views Howards place in it. [Read more 🡒]