Former Pittsburgh Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger Not Impressed With Drew Allar Pick

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said he was underwhelmed by Drew Allar.

“I didn’t watch a lot of Penn State games,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. “When I did watch, he never jumped off the page to me. Is he big, can he move, can he throw? Yeah, but there was never a time where I was like, ‘Whoa’. So, we’ll see about that one.” 

Despite his hesitancy about Allar, Roethlisberger was a fan of other Steelers draft picks. He praised first-round draft pick Germie Bernard, Day 2 selections Daylen Everett and Gennings Dunker and seventh-round pick Eli Heidenreich. 

Heidenreich is a former high school champion from the Pittsburgh suburbs. One can imagine the praise from the Steelers’ former player means a lot to him.

Roethlisberger wasn’t alone in his doubts about Allar. Many scouts thought his field processing and footwork were far behind what is needed at the NFL level.

Despite this, the Steelers still drafted him in the third round. Scouts saw some upside in him due to his natural throwing abilities and decision-making.

Allar threw eight touchdowns and three interceptions in six games in 2025. His season ended after he broke his left ankle. Allar did not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine. However, he did throw on the field for scouts. 

The Steelers already have veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard on the roster. Despite Howard being drafted much later, Roethlisberger is more impressed with Howard’s tape than Allar’s.

They are also waiting on a decision from veteran Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was the Steelers’ starter last season and threw 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Although Roethlisberger hasn’t talked with Rodgers, he believes Rodgers will want to play another season.