Drew Allar Throws Two Touchdowns, Runs for Another in Steelers’ 28-9 Preseason Win Over Packers
Drew Allar didn’t wait long to make a case for himself. On his first extended look in an NFL uniform, the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third, leading Pittsburgh to a 28-9 win over the Green Bay Packers in the team’s preseason opener Wednesday night at Acrisure Stadium.
The Steelers used their 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Allar, a third-round selection out of Penn State. He didn’t play like a player who fell to the third round. Allar finished 9 of 14 for 154 yards, connecting with fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen and tight end Riley Nowkowski for scores before punching in a third touchdown himself on a three-yard read-option keeper, according to CBS Pittsburgh. One report from CBS Pittsburgh listed his completions at 10 of 13; multiple other outlets, including CBS Sports and Yahoo Sports, put the final line at 9 of 14. Either way, the yardage and touchdown total line up: 154 yards, three total scores, no turnovers.
A read-option and a rocket to Wetjen
The signature moment came on Allar’s first drive of the third quarter. He found Wetjen on an in-breaking route that turned into a 75-yard gain, according to Yahoo Sports. Two plays later, head coach Mike McCarthy called a read option, and Allar tucked it himself for a three-yard touchdown that put Pittsburgh ahead 14-9. The crowd at Acrisure Stadium reportedly greeted Allar’s entrance with chants of “Drewwww!” as fans got their first live look at the rookie, per CBS Pittsburgh.
Green Bay’s response drive went nowhere. Safety Israel Mukuamu broke through for a sack, and the Packers’ possession totaled just nine yards on five plays, according to Behind the Steel Curtain. Allar wasn’t finished. He later led a 10-play, 89-yard drive on which he completed all seven of his throws, capping it with a five-yard touchdown pass, per CBS Sports.
Allar credited the coaching staff for setting him up to succeed. “I think it’s a huge confidence boost,” he said after the game, according to CBS Sports. “Coach McCarthy and the whole offensive staff putting together a really concise game plan and just calling stuff that they know I’m comfortable with. Just allowing us to go out and play fast.”
Rodgers watched from the sideline — and he won’t be around much longer
Aaron Rodgers didn’t play. The 42-year-old sat out the opener in sweats, along with several other veterans, as McCarthy prioritized keeping his roster healthy through camp, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Rodgers signed a one-year deal worth up to $25 million to return to Pittsburgh in May, and days later confirmed publicly that 2026 will be his final NFL season. “Yes. This is it,” Rodgers told reporters in May, per ESPN.
That timeline is what makes Allar’s debut worth watching beyond one preseason box score. Rodgers is locked in as Pittsburgh’s Week 1 starter, and nothing from Wednesday changes that. But his retirement, whenever it officially arrives after this season, will open a competition that now includes a rookie who just posted a three-touchdown night in his first game.
He wasn’t the only Steelers quarterback who impressed. Mason Rudolph started and went 10 of 11 for 93 yards across two series, directing a long drive that stalled at the goal line, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Second-year passer Will Howard, a sixth-round pick a year ago, followed with a 7-of-9, 86-yard showing that included a two-minute drill ending in Pittsburgh’s first touchdown of the night, per CBS Sports. All three quarterbacks are competing for reps behind Rodgers, with Pittsburgh’s roster set to be trimmed to 53 players by August 30, according to CBS Pittsburgh.
Fans on social media are already dreaming big
Preseason opener or not, Steelers fans reacted to Allar’s stat line with the kind of enthusiasm typically reserved for the regular season. Reactions circulating on X ranged from comparisons to Rodgers’ own quarterback development to outright calls for Allar to take over the starting job — including at least one fan predicting a Week 4 changeover, and another, from a rival fanbase, calling for Rodgers to “retire” immediately so Allar could start Week 1. Those takes are fan speculation, not anything close to how Pittsburgh’s depth chart actually works — Rodgers is under contract as the starter for 2026, full stop. Other fans struck a more grounded tone, with one Pittsburgh supporter noting simply, “It is just preseason but I am hyped.”
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drew Allar | 9-14 (one report: 10-13) | 154 | 3 (2 pass, 1 rush) |
| Mason Rudolph | 10-11 | 93 | 0 |
| Will Howard | 7-9 | 86 | 0 (drove for a TD) |
What’s next
Pittsburgh has two more preseason games left: a home matchup against the New York Jets on August 21, followed by a road trip to face the Buffalo Bills on August 27, according to the Steelers’ official schedule release. The Steelers open the regular season at home against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.
None of that changes what’s in front of Pittsburgh right now: Rodgers is the starter, and this is his farewell season. But if Wednesday night was any indication, the Steelers may already have his successor developing on the same roster.
