Rookie quarterback Drew Allar went viral on X during the second half of the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason victory against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night. That’s what happens when a rookie signal-caller accounts for three touchdowns in his NFL debut.
The performance left Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy impressed. But all of Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks played well in the 28-9 victory.
After the win, McCarthy spoke highly of not just Allar but also Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
“Really liked the quarterback play tonight. Not to be a broken record — I’ve been talking about it really since the spring, but I really like a room,” said McCarthy during his postgame press conference Thursday. “I think it’s a really good quarterback room. I thought they played that way tonight…
“I really liked the performance of all three quarterbacks tonight.”
McCarthy spent more time talking about Rudolph and Howard. But at the end of his quarterback summary, he addressed the rookie signal-caller specifically.
“I thought Drew played very, very well.”
Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards. His longest throw was a 74-yard slant pattern to fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen.
Allar also threw two touchdowns and ran for another with zero interceptions.
Drew Allar Speaks out on Steelers Debut
It’s hard to have wanted anything more from Allar in his first NFL outing.
He connected with Wetjen for the 74-yard strike on his first throw of the night. The big play came on third-and-7 with the Steelers trailing by two points.
Clearly, Allar didn’t need much time to settle in.
“Football is football no matter what,” the rookie told reporters after the game. “Honestly, I feel like the adjustment for me at the NFL level came during rookie OTAs and OTAs, in general.
“More specifically, like, with this training camp cycle and going against a great defense every day with a challenging scheme that really challenges us as an offense. I feel like that really mentally prepared me to go out there and just handle everything.”
Allar couldn’t hit another rookie, full back Riley Nowakowski, on the next play near the goal line. But Allar executed the run-pass option perfectly on second-and-goal. The rookie quarterback scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown.
The third-round signal-caller then orchestrated touchdowns on the next two drives as well. He hit Wetjen on a 5-yard pass for the first score and then Nowakowski on a 4-yard route on the second touchdown.
On X, Allar went viral for his strong performance. A lot of social media users were very excited about the rookie quarterback.
Others made jokes, comparing Allar’s play to former first-rounder Kenny Pickett. In the 2023 preseason, Pickett had an absolutely stellar preseason which didn’t translate to the regular season.
Allar will have to continue to play well and put everything together when the games matter to really move the needle for some fans.
Mike McCarthy’s Quarterbacks Shine in Week 1 of Preseason
While Allar looked great, the biggest takeaway from Thursday night was how well all the Steelers quarterback did.
Rudolph’s first drive ended in a 3-and-out. But he then led the offense on a 16-play drive the next possession.
Rudolph was 10 of 11 passing for 93 yards, averaging 8.5 yards per attempt.
Howard went 7-for-9 with 86 yards.
Overall, Steelers quarterbacks averaged 10.1 yards per pass and posted a 128.8 passer rating.
It’s just one game that didn’t count toward the standings. But it’s an encouraging sign not just for the development of Allar and/or Howard, but for McCarthy’s scheme and play-calling.
McCarthy is known for having a quarterback-friendly offense. It was every bit of that Thursday.
Steelers’ Mike McCarthy Reacts to Drew Allar’s Impressive Preseason Debut