The national picture on the Pittsburgh Steelers isn’t flattering right now. ESPN’s franchise-future rankings dropped them all the way to No. 30, and that’s with categories built around coaching, the roster outside the quarterback, quarterback play, and the front office.
The weird part? Pittsburgh landed behind the Cleveland Browns.
That’s a head-scratcher on its face, especially with the Steelers still in the Aaron Rodgers era for now and the Browns carrying their own quarterback uncertainty. Rodgers is better than anyone on Cleveland’s roster, and the logic behind that placement is hard to square.
Mike McCarthy doesn’t exactly fit the “bottom of the league” label either. If anything, this feels like the kind of ranking the Steelers can pin up and use as fuel.
For the moment, though, the conversation around Pittsburgh has shifted to Drew Allar.
Allar’s performance has become a talking point across the internet after his showing in preseason action. His stat line was clean and eye-catching: 10-for-13, 153 yards, 2 TD, 154.8 passer rating, 1 rushing TD. He was one of the biggest stories from the first full weekend of the preseason, and the buzz only picked up after he took over late.
Before Allar entered, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard had managed only 7 points through almost three quarters. Once Allar got control of the offense just before the fourth, he led three straight touchdown drives.
The first came on a rushing score from the rookie, and the next two ended with touchdown passes to Kaden Wetjen and Riley Nowakowski. He looked calm, comfortable, and in command in McCarthy’s offense.
McCarthy also made clear during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday that the Steelers liked Allar long before the spotlight got brighter. “If we go back to the draft process, when we drafted Drew [Allar] we felt like we were getting a first-round pick,” McCarthy revealed during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show Friday.
“... And all of that’s holding true.”
That doesn’t mean Allar has taken over the job from Aaron Rodgers. The rookie still has work to do if he’s going to get there. But after that performance, the long-term outlook suddenly looks a lot more interesting.
Tuesday’s Three Rivers Report also included Steelers notes on Will Howard, weather cutting camp short, and training camp awards, along with other news from around the NFL.
In Other News...
Najee Harris Next Stop Says Plenty About His NFL Value
Najee Harris has found another landing spot, and it says something about how the league still views the former Steelers running back as a useful piece. After moving on from Pittsburgh and spending time with the Chargers, Harris is now headed to New York, where the Giants have turned to him for added backfield help behind rookie Cam Skattebo.
For the Giants, the appeal is straightforward: Harris brings experience, size and a chance to steady a rushing group that can use more depth. The next step in his career comes with a health question attached, though, and his ability to work his way back into form will determine how much of a role he can carve out in New York's offense. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers May Have Dodged A Frustrating Draft Mistake With Makai Lemon
The Steelers had wide receiver Makai Lemon in play during the draft, only to watch Philadelphia take him earlier and remove him from the board. Since then, Lemons early pro start has been slowed by a hamstring injury that has kept him out of multiple practices and offseason activities, a reminder that draft-day disappointment does not always stay that way for long.
Pittsburgh moved on by taking offensive tackle Max Iheanachor instead, and the early return has at least given the Steelers a steadier spring story to follow. Iheanachor has been active in training camp despite a minor injury setback, while Lemon is still working through the kind of availability issues that can make a promising name feel a lot less painful to miss. [Read more 🡒]