Penn State’s Drew Allar may not have to travel far for his NFL future. In CBS Sports’ first 2026 NFL Mock Draft, the Nittany Lions star quarterback was projected to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 14 overall pick.
The pairing not only keeps the Ohio native in Pennsylvania but also positions him as a potential long-term successor to Aaron Rodgers, who enters his age-42 season on a one-year deal in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers signed a $13.65 million base contract this offseason, with playoff and MVP incentives pushing the value as high as $19.5 million. At his age, however, the deal is a stopgap solution, not a foundation piece. That’s where Allar enters the conversation.
The Penn State signal-caller offers a symbolic bridge of his own. Allar represents two sides of the Steelers’ recent quarterback history: one lined with Hall of Fame success, the other with short-lived frustration.
The franchise has only dipped into the first round for a quarterback twice in the last 25 years. In 2004, it was Ben Roethlisberger at No. 11 overall, an Ohio native who delivered 18 seasons, two Super Bowls, and countless franchise records.
In 2022, it was Kenny Pickett at No. 20 overall, the Pitt star whose stay ended abruptly after two uneven seasons and multiple trades before his rookie contract expired.
Allar, like Roethlisberger, grew up in Ohio—Medina, just outside Cleveland. Like Pickett, he’s the hometown quarterback playing his college ball in Pennsylvania.
The parallels write themselves, and the stakes for Pittsburgh couldn’t be clearer: draft the next Big Ben, not the next short-term placeholder.
On the field, Allar’s résumé is already steep. Through 39 games at Penn State, he’s thrown for 6,302 yards, 53 touchdowns, and just 10 interceptions.
He holds the school’s record for highest career completion percentage (62.9%) and ranks top five in multiple offensive categories, including touchdowns responsible for (64) and total offense (6,862 yards).
His efficiency was on display from day one, beginning his career with an FBS-record 311 pass attempts without an interception.
CBS Sports’ projection doesn’t just connect the dots on a quarterback need. It paints a picture of where the Steelers are headed as a franchise.
Rodgers is a rental, and Will Howard—a sixth-round pick in 2025—profiles as a developmental backup. Allar, by contrast, is the kind of blue-chip talent who could reset the clock in Pittsburgh.
The question is whether the Steelers are willing to roll the dice again on a first-round quarterback so soon after Pickett. Their history shows that when they hit, they hit big. When they miss, the consequences linger.
For now, Rodgers has the keys. But if CBS Sports’ mock draft proves prophetic, Drew Allar could be the one holding them next.
