With Aaron Rodgers back, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to navigate possessing four quarterbacks they want on their 53-man roster. It’s a difficult situation that has a few different potential solutions. But pundits don’t see a scenario (barring injury) where third-round rookie Drew Allar wasn’t one of the team’s two backups this fall.
Well, that was the case until this week.
On Monday, NFL analyst Chris Simms explained on an NBC Sports podcast why Allar shouldn’t be considered safe for a roster spot in 2026.
“I wouldn’t be shocking if it was the other way around,” said Simms of Allar being released instead of Will Howard. “For all the things you just said about Drew Allar. It’s raw. That’s why I couldn’t get behind the pick. I like the kid. He’s big. His arm is strong.
“But the throwing motion, the drops, the offense that he was in, it’s all bad.
“He could be so raw that they get through training camp and they go, they can’t make him the third either.”
Allar is entering his first summer as an NFL quarterback. The Steelers selected him at No. 76 overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Is Drew Allar a Steelers 2026 Cut Candidate?
More than anything, Simms’ take on Allar’s chances at a Steelers roster spot this August proves fans can get any opinion.
Sure, anything is possible. But just about every Steelers fan and pundit very likely would be shocked if the team released Allar this August.
SI on Steelers’ Jacob Punturi called it the “craziest move possible.” Punturi also referred to Simms’ opinion as “simply too stupid to engage with.”
I’ll try to engage with it.
It’s extremely rare to see any third-round pick cut before their rookie season, let alone a third-round quarterback. Simms, though, stated Allar shouldn’t have gone in the draft where he did.
“He wasn’t a third-round pick on a lot of teams’ radars,” Simms said. “I think that caught a lot of people in the NFL by surprise.”
Simms then argued the Steelers could cut Allar and signed him to their practice squad after the 2026 preseason. To do that, the quarterback would have to clear waivers.
A rookie third-round quarterback has a very slim chance of clearing waivers. But if teams considered Allar closer to a late Day 3 pick, then clearing waivers becomes more possible.
Why It’s Crazy to Suggest Allar as a Cut Candidate
Simms isn’t necessarily wrong with his assessment of Allar’s raw abilities. It’s pretty evident he’s not ready to start in the NFL.
That’s a big reason why the Steelers waited so long again to sign Rodgers. The team didn’t have a quality option to compete for the starting role already on the roster.
But at least from the Steelers perspective, Allar has some first or second-round traits. He was a third-round pick because his talent is raw.
Because of that potential, even if Allar doesn’t beat out Mason Rudolph and Will Howard for the QB3 job, there’s a slim chance Allar is cut. The Steelers just aren’t going to give up on a Day 2 quarterback after a few months.
That’s not unique to the Steelers. It’s safe to assume most other teams would have the same approach as well.
The Steelers have questions to answer in their quarterback room before the 2026 regular season. It’s also not yet clear if Allar will ever be a franchise signal-caller.
But it’s a pretty safe bet the Steelers are going to give him more than one summer to show what he can do.
‘Craziest Move’ With Drew Allar Floated as Possible for Steelers