Ben Roethlisberger not impressed with Steelers’ QB draft pick Drew Allar: ‘Never jumped off the page’

Pittsburgh selected Drew Allar in the third round as the fourth signal caller taken in this year’s draft, and days later, Roethlisberger spoke on his “Footbahlin” podcast this week about the decision, one which he didn’t exactly give a ringing endorsement to, saying the “jury is out.”

“This is one that I’m not sure yet if I love it or hate it,” Roethlisbergersaid. “I don’t watch a lot of Penn State games. When I did watch, he never jumped off the page to me. Is he big? Can he move? Can he throw? Yes. But there was never a time where I was like, ‘Whoa.'”

Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar passes during Penn State’s upset road loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11, 2025. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

The two-time Super Bowl champion Steelers quarterback thinks someone already in the Steelers’ locker room stood out more as a college player than Allar.

“Will Howard jumped off the tape to me way more than Drew [Allar] did,” Roethlisberger said.

Allar, during his sophomore year, led the Big Ten with 25 touchdowns before adding 24 more in 2024, a season in which Penn State reached the College Football Playoff semifinal, though he struggled in that game and threw a late-game, backbreaking interception that helped seal a Nittany Lions loss.

But 2025, a year with high expectations, crumbled six games in when Allar suffered a broken ankle.

In all, over four seasons — three as the starter — Allar finished with 7,402 passing yards on a 63.2 completion rate with 61 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. He added 732 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth told reporters Friday that there’s a lot to like about Allar’s size and ability.

“He has rare size,” Arth said. “He’s 6-foot-5, 235 pounds. He has big hands. And I think what’s most exciting, certainly when you’re talking about the quarterback position, this guy can throw the football. And I think he throws it as well as any quarterback in this draft class.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar runs a drill during the school’s NFL football pro day on March 18, 2026, in State College, Pa. AP

“He has an effortless arm. He can make every single throw on the field. And he’s a better athlete than I think given credit for. … His intelligence as a football player and his arm talent and all those things. I think he has a very high ceiling. I don’tthink he has reached his potential yet as a player.”

Pittsburgh had Howard and Mason Rudolph already in the quarterback room as it awaits a decision on whether Aaron Rodgers will return. Roethlisberger expects if Rodgers does come back, Rudolph will be the odd-man out.