In his 26-year coaching career in the NFL, McCarthy has a proven record of developing top quarterbacks. He has mentored a young Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and managed the veteran prowess of Dak Prescott during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, in his stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he finds himself with a new project. The coach’s development plan for the former Penn State standout QB Drew Allar is already turning heads. 

Traditionally, coaches prefer having three or four QBs during the drills in the offseason to keep their legs moving. However, defying the standard playbook, McCarthy chose to name Allar the only quarterback at the Steelers’ recent rookie minicamp held at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex over the weekend. 

“We pushed him. To go 35 snaps in a team drill, that’s pushing it, but he handled it,” McCarthy said on Saturday after the practice session. “If your quarterback can’t handle it, then you don’t get to go to the speed and the tempo and the pre-snap that we were able to go. I thought Drew did a hell of a job.”

The buzz around Allar was built around his performance at Penn State. His college track record also speaks for itself. From 2022 to 2025, he racked up over 7,000 yards and 61 touchdowns playing in 45 games for the State. Even Hall of Famer Kurt Warner has gone on record to say that Allar’s technical footwork and poise are exceptional.

 

“Now, when you watch him, you may say he is the most gifted thrower in this entire draft, even ahead of [Fernando] Mendoza and [Ty] Simpson, who I do know are ranked way higher,” said Kurt Warner before the draft. “He is a naturally gifted thrower with a big arm. There is not a throw on the football field that this guy can’t make.”

When Allar took over the starting job as QB1 in 2022, he dismantled West Virginia in the season opener. In this game, he recorded 325 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant 38-15 win. By the 2024 season, fans had high expectations for him. He led the team to the National Championship semifinal appearance. However, a rare late-game interception against Notre Dame ended his team’s run. 

Determined to finish the job, Allar returned for the 2025 season alongside a veteran core. However, the season soured almost immediately. In 6 games that he played, he could only rack up eight touchdowns and pass for 1,100 yards.

With McCarthy already showing faith in him, Allar will have some responsibility with the Steelers in his rookie season as they still await an update on Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers uncertainty continues for the Steelers

Drew Allar’s entry into the NFL comes at a time when the Steelers’ depth chart is facing total uncertainty. The entire franchise is waiting for Aaron Rodgers to decide on his future. Throughout the offseason, the timeline for the NFL’s four-time Most Valuable Player has shifted constantly. 

Early on, Steelers’ GM Omar Khan hinted that the situation this year wouldn’t drag on as long as it did last year. When that didn’t happen, team president Art Rooney II eventually pointed toward the NFL Draft as the new window for a decision. 

Even as recently as this week, it felt like the wait was finally over. There were reports that a deal could drop at any moment. However, veteran insider Gerry Dulac has revealed that this optimism was premature. 

In the background of uncertainty regarding Rodgers, the Steelers boast a veteran presence of Mason Rudolph and the potential of Will Howard. In this specific setting, Allar becomes more than just a depth in the team’s roster. As Rodgers turns 43 this season, the path for Allar becomes much clearer. It’s not hard to imagine that the rookie could find himself on the field well ahead of schedule.

The parallels to McCarthy’s past are impossible to ignore. After almost 20 years, he finds himself once again managing the Rodgers situation. When Rodgers was drafted by the Green Bay Packers as a rookie, McCarthy worked with him to build his mechanics from the ground up. In his first year with Pittsburgh, it looks like he plans on working with Allar similarly. If Rodgers becomes available, McCarthy would rely on him to be the veteran and help the rookie out in his first year as an NFL player. 

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