Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard at practice on Oct. 23, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers head into next season with a pair of young quarterbacks who are works in progress. Will Howard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has a year’s head start on Drew Allar, who was plucked last month in the third round.
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner doesn’t think Allar and Howard possess the same level of talent.
“I was incredibly low on Howard,” Renner said Tuesday on 93.7 The Fan. “I don’t even think it’s close (as compared to Allar). I thought Howard was a backup at best. He was just very robotic. He did not have the fluid athleticism of a Drew Allar. I saw a guy who was, I thought, was gonna struggle with out-of-structure stuff at the NFL level, and just creating anything out of tight pockets, either. So I was not a Will Howard guy. I was truthfully surprised with where the Steelers even picked him last year.”
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in a game against Villanova on Sept. 13, 2025. — Matthew Lynch / Nittany Sports Now
Allar, a Penn State product, has tools that the Steelers’ coaching staff is excited about. He stands 6-foot-5 and has the requisite arm strength to succeed at the professional level. McCarthy has previously tutored Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre and Aaron Brooks. Allar will be another case study of the coach’s ability to mold signal-callers.
“I thought the Allar pick was a worthwhile swing,” Renner said. “Allar, I think, if you would’ve said that this guy was a third-round pick as a sophomore after what he did that year, you just would’ve been surprised. If (you said) that’s how he would’ve ended his career, I think a lot of people would’ve been surprised by that, because he was on a much higher trajectory.”
Mentioned In This Article: Drew Allar Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers Will Howard