The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have figured out the quarterback position, at least for 2025.
After being connected to Aaron Rodgers for months, the two parties finally reached an agreement this month. While Rodgers isn’t the quarterback he once was, he still put up respectable numbers in 2024 and is a future Hall of Famer.
However, Rodgers will be 42 when the 2025 season ends, meaning he’s not a long-term solution. As a result, no matter how well Rodgers plays in 2025, it seems likely the team will be searching for another quarterback next offseason.
Luckily, the 2026 NFL Draft is expected to be loaded with quarterback talent. Arch Manning, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, and LaNorris Sellers are just some of the names expected to be available.
Paul M. Banks of The Sports Bank recently published a mock draft that has the Steelers selecting Allar with the No. 16 pick. Regarding Allar as a prospect, Banks provided the following:
He might be the signal caller who’s the hardest to accurately project right now…Why such a wide variance on Allar? There is certainly no doubting Allar’s ability and talent. His size (6-5, 236) and arm strength are ideal for the league.
His stats are solid too- 53 TD passes against just 10 interceptions, 6,302 yards passing in two seasons as a starter. However, as expectations rise this football talking season, the perceptions around Allar could start mimicking those of his head coach, James Franklin.
As Banks mentioned, Allar has ideal NFL size and natural talent that will intrigue every team. In 2024, the quarterback threw for 3,327 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Many draft experts expected Allar to be a first-round pick in 2025, but the quarterback decided to return to Penn State for one more season. Now, with an impressive 2025 season, Allar could be in the running to be the top overall pick in next year’s draft.
Of course, in Banks’ mock, Allar goes in the middle of the first round to the Steelers. If the Steelers are picking 16th, it means they missed out on the playoffs in 2025 and will likely want to reset, making Allar a realistic pick.
Allar to Pittsburgh makes a ton of sense. The quarterback is already loved in the state of Pennsylvania, and his pro-style approach would work well with Mike Tomlin.
Rodgers only signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, so Allar would likely have the starting job immediately.
