Despite an injury-plagued 2025 season, Drew Allar found a home at the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Penn State quarterback was selected by the Steelers with the No. 76 pick, a move that could have implications for Aaron Rodgers, who has still not yet committed to returning.
After having a solid junior season with the Nittany Lions — racking up 3,327 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, along with leading his team to the College Football Playoff semifinals — Allar broke his left ankle during Penn State’s loss to Northwestern just six games into the 2025 season.
Drew Allar of the Penn State Nittany Lions throws a pass during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images Allar showed major promise to start his senior year, posting 1,100 yards with eight touchdowns in just six starts.
Less than two months after the injury, Allar said that he was in “full recovery” and committed to being in this year’s NFL draft.
“I’m going to be a better version of myself out of this,” he told ESPN in November. “The doctors said it’s going to be stronger than before because of the type of surgery they did. It won’t prohibit me from anything in the future or need to get it redone. A lot of guys have done it and come back.
“I’ll be able to make a full recovery and not have anything to think about when I come back.”
It’s unclear if Allar will serve as Pittsburgh’s QB1 to start this upcoming season, as Rodgers has yet to engage in talks with the Steelers, ESPN reported Monday.
Rodgers is a free agent and is weighing retirement after signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) reacts after Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) intercepts the ball and runs it in for a touchdown during the second half when the Pittsburgh Steelers played the Houston Texans in their AFC Wild Card round Monday, January 12, 2026 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. Robert Sabo for NY Post “When I talked to him and [general manager] Omar [Khan] talked to him, he told us he wasn’t going to take as long this year as he did last year [to make a decision],” Steelers owner Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in March.
“I’m not 100 percent sure what that means, but I expect something before the draft,” he added.
At it currently stands, 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard — who has yet to play an NFL snap — is the Steelers’ QB1 going into OTAs.
