Opinions were mixed when the Pittsburgh Steelers spent a third-round pick on Drew Allar earlier this year. While Allar has a lot of nice physical tools, he had a lot of issues in college, including inaccuracy, bad-decision making, and poor mechanics. However, there was a lot of positive buzz about Allar after the Steelers’ first preseason game. He failed to repeat that performance last week, but former NFL scout Russ Lande still thinks there’s a lot to like about what Allar has shown so far.

“If you’re a Steelers fan, you have to be very excited by the fact that they may have hit a home run with Drew Allar,” Lande said Wednesday on Sports Talk with Dad’s YouTube channel. “They’ve gotta be sitting there saying, ‘This kid might be the answer.’

“For that reason, let Aaron [Rodgers] be Aaron. Let him do his thing. He can ride off into the sunset. If, 10 games in, it’s clear the Steelers aren’t going to the playoffs, let’s get Drew some snaps. Because he has looked like the guy from 2024 as opposed to the indecisive, scared quarterback in 2025.”

It’s a too early anoint Allar as the Steelers’ next franchise quarterback. He’s only played in two preseason games, and even that’s been a mixed bag.

Allar completed threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game. It was a solid performance, even if many of his yards came after the catch.

However, there was less to like about how he played against the New York Jets last week. Allar only completed 11 of his 23 pass attempts for 110 yards. While he didn’t turn the ball over, he also failed to get the Steelers into the end zone.

Mike McCarthy felt like the Steelers were getting a first-round pick in Allar. He clearly likes a lot of the Penn State product’s tools. However, he’s got a lot of work to do to unlock Allar’s potential. McCarthy is known as a quarterback guru, and he’s developed plenty of quality signal callers. There’s a chance he could help Allar become a viable starter.

That’s going to take time, though. It’s okay to be excited about Allar. However, fans should also temper expectations. He’s only a rookie, and his presence might not stop the Steelers from taking a quarterback high in next year’s draft.