Former NFL GM Skeptical About Steelers' Drew Allar Adjustments

There's no guarantee that the Pittsburgh Steelers' attempts to fix Drew Allar's mechanics will stick.

Dec 21, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers were hard at work helping Drew Allar improve his mechanics during rookie minicamp, but a former NFL general manager isn't so sure that those adjustments are going to hold up in the long run.

During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Doug Whaley stated that he's concerned Allar, a third-round pick out of Penn State, is going to fall back on his old tendencies in the heat of the moment on the field despite the Steelers helping him head down the right path.

"That worries me," Whaley said. "When the game is on the line, and the play on the field is really intense, you revert back to what got you there, and what you know in your original, and you can look at it with Tim Tebow.

"They tried to fix his throwing motion, he went through all of this. But when it was game time, when it was crunch time, he reverted back to what he knows. This, to me, is alarming more than encouraging."

Oct 4, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Whaley, however, does admire that Pittsburgh is willing to back Allar and openly showcase its attempt of reworking his fundamentals heading into his rookie year.

"We better have great faith in Mike McCarthy, and all of Pittsburgh's office, Steelers' staff, which is great," Whaley said. "I love that the accountability is put on them, and they're gonna shoot their shot. I admire it."

How Much Confidence Should Steelers Have in Allar?

As the only quarterback present at rookie minicamp, the Steelers were able to focus more of their attention on Allar than they typically would.

The decision to feature the 22-year-old as the lone signal caller appeared intentional, as McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth understand the type of time and effort it's going to take to truly help Allar right his previous wrongs mechanically.

Though he's arrived in Pittsburgh with a healthy amount of fanfare due to his raw tools such as his arm strength, Allar shouldn't face much pressure to perform in 2026 if Aaron Rodgers re-signs with the team.

Even in a world where Rodgers doesn't return to the Steelers, Will Howard and Mason Rudolph are far more suitable starting options given their higher floors.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Perhaps Allar will soak up all of the knowledge he learned at rookie minicamp and continue to work through all of his issues over the next few months at an accelerated rate, allowing his developmental timeline to speed up, but that shouldn't be the expectation.

The aim of selecting Allar in the third round was for him to sit for a year behind Rodgers and then potentially compete for the starting job next season, perhaps with Howard and/or an early pick in the 2027 draft.

Pittsburgh clearly has confidence it can mold Allar into a better player and help him reach his ceiling, but Whaley's concerns are valid.

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