The young Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks continued to shine, with both second-year pro Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar showing during Thursday night's 28-9 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers why the club has been leaning toward keeping four QBs on the initial 53-man roster.
After veteran Mason Rudolph started and led two drives, going 10-of-11 passing for 93 yards, Howard took over. The 24-year-old -- who missed the entire 2025 preseason with a fractured pinky finger and never saw regular-season action upon return from injured reserve -- played three series, going 7-of-9 for 86 yards, highlighted by a well-orchestrated two-minute TD drive ahead of halftime.
Allar took over for the final four drives (one being a one-play kneel) and shined, completing 10 of 13 attempts for 153 yards, two passing TDs and a rushing score. The rookie's first pass went 74 yards on a catch-and-run by fourth-round rookie Kaden Wetjen.
New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy beamed about his two young pupils following the game.
"I thought, as far as the way they took the play, commanded the huddle. ... I thought they were very poised," McCarthy said, via ESPN. "I liked the way all three of them played, especially our young guys. I liked the way Will responded. ... He did a good job overcoming some long down-and-distances, and I thought his two-minute drill was outstanding. And I thought Drew played very, very well."
Howard and Allar combined to complete 77% of their passes and lead four TDs drives in six non-kneel possessions.
Both the youngsters are coming off forgettable campaigns in 2025. Howard hadn't thrown a pass in game action since Ohio State's National Championship win two Januarys ago. Allar's final season at Penn State was a mess before it ended early due to an October ankle injury. In his first NFL action, Allar showed vastly improved mechanics compared to his college career.
The performance might have come against Packers backups -- and many players who won't be on a 53-man roster come Week 1 -- but it was nice to see both take an important first step in their preseason debut.
Thursday night proved that it's unlikely the Steelers are sneaking either of their youngsters through waivers -- not that they were ever going to try with Allar, who was just drafted in the third round at No. 76 overall. With each passing performance, we get closer and closer to Pittsburgh keeping four QBs to open 2026.
