Steelers' Drew Allar Just Got An Extremely Early Advantage Over Will Howard

The Pittsburgh Steelers could have a serious quarterback battle occurring at some point, but it is more than likely to come in 2027 versus 2026. Aaron Rodgers is lingering in the Steel City simply waiting for his agent and the organization to agree on terms for a new contract. Once that happens, it appears as if both Will Howard and Drew Allar will have to sit back and learn from the veteran, while Mason Rudolph could very well be shown the door before September. All in all, it's a fascinating room and there are more questions than answers.

The Steelers invested a third-round selection in Allar, and he was taken with the new coaching regime in town. This could end up hurting Howard, who was picked in the sixth round back in 2025. When looking at upside, both signal-callers have strong traits, but Allar is considered more of a potential long-term starter. Now, he seems to already be separating himself thanks to an opportunity given to him by head coach Mike McCarthy.

Rookie Minicamp began for the franchise on Friday, which was the first time that the 10 selected first-year players, among others, got on the field to workout with McCarthy and co. Mark Kaboly was on the scene for the sessions, and made it very clear that Allar is already being tested, taking pretty much all of the repetitions under center.

"It is normal to have at least two quarterbacks at Rookie Minicamp, even if one is there just for a tryout in order to spread out at least some of the reps," Kaboly wrote. "Mike McCarthy didn’t afford Drew Allar that luxury this weekend, wanting to see if Allar could handle a workload of up to 35 team reps, as well as all the individuals, while maintaining enough tempo to give the defense a proper look."

It's very early on; however, Allar has just as much professional in-game experience as Howard does: none. One may not be a rookie, but they are very much on the same playing field, and these early impressions by the third-rounder are going to make it harder for Howard to really prove himself, especially when McCarthy was responsible for taking one in the draft, but not the other. Kaboly was extremely impressed with Allar's ability to throw the pigskin.

"Not to get ahead of us based on a rookie minicamp practice, but Allar's arm is legit," Kaboly noted. "The ball explodes out of his hand, and it might be impossible to throw a tighter spiral than what he throws. You can see why McCarthy and the Steelers fell in love with him during the draft process."

If and when Rodgers signs, Allar becomes the perfect project quarterback. If he develops the way the Steelers think he can, Howard might not end up getting a chance at all.

There is going to be plenty to pay attention to when all players report for Organized Team Activities (OTAs), and the biggest storyline may just be the backup quarterback job. It would appear as if Howard or Rudolph are in line to earn that spot, but Allar is already making up ground after just a couple of days with the staff at Rookie Minicamp.

Howard will have his chances to show what he is made of, but, again, it will be a more difficult path for him because coaching staffs tend to side with players that they draft. The best quarterback will play; however, Allar is certainly starting out in the lead because of his recent strong showings.

Steelers Hopeful Both Are A Sponge If Rodgers Is Around

Pittsburgh is close to getting a commitment for a second year from Rodgers. He is one of the most intelligent and accurate throwers of the football in NFL history. If Allar and Howard both find their respective ways onto the 53-man roster in 2026 with the future Hall of Famer leading the way, it will be imperative that the two young signal-callers learn absolutely everything that they can.

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