Ben Roethlisberger questions Steelers' training plan for QB Drew Allar: 'Makes me nervous'

The former two-time Super Bowl champion questions the development of the Steelers' third-round pick

May 28, 2026 at 8:02 am ET • 3 min read

Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger is unsure of the offseason training regiment surrounding third-round pick Drew Allar, a rookie quarterback who joins a franchise with signal-callers Aaron Rodgers and Will Howard ahead of him on the depth chart, along with Mason Rudolph.

First-year Steelers coach Mike McCarthy is essentially starting from scratch with the former Penn State star, who threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2024 as a junior before noticeable regression as a passer and a season-ending injury last October caused him to slip to Day 2 in April's draft.

The only quarterback at rookie minicamp earlier this month, Allar received 1-on-1 instruction from McCarthy and coaching from quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, who reportedly put him through the ringer by reteaching basic principles like altering his delivery and stance as a passer.

"It does make me nervous," Roethlisberger said on this week's Channel Seven podcast. "I'm watching some of this stuff they're doing with (him) at practice, like working on his drop. I'm not trying to knock this quarterback school that McCarthy does. I know Aaron's (Rodgers) talked about it in the past because he's gone through it in Green Bay and he's talked highly about it. 

"But I just, to me, when I'm watching him do three-step drops, that makes me incredibly nervous. You ask why? You're refining things. There's a difference in refining things and like, teaching. When we did football camps, the first things you're teaching the youngest kids is how to do a three-step drop."

Pittsburgh reportedly is trying to widen Allar's base and keep him off his toes in the pocket, which in turn should give the strong-armed rookie more time to process and move faster against a pass rush as he gets acclimated to the league.

Allar was a three-year starter for the Nittany Lions as one of the top recruits in program history, ranking as the No. 3 overall player and top quarterback in the 2022 recruiting cycle.

"Maybe they're just working on his three-step drop to be more efficient, but it looked to me like baby steps," Roethlisberger said. "Teaching. This is from 30,000 (feet). I could be completely wrong, but all I'm saying is it makes me a littler nervous to watch it and be like, 'they're working on a three-step drop.'"

McCarthy's 'quarterback school'

Few college quarterbacks take snaps under center given the allure of spread systems at that level, so this is new territory for Allar and most rookies.

"I'd love to get Peyton Manning's take (on this)," Roethlisberger said. "He was very technical. When people played me, they would say keep Ben in the pocket, keep him on that line. But when you played Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, it was get disruptive and make them move. Peyton is fundamental. That ball's high, it rocks back and forth. To each their own, he's one of the greatest to ever do it, maybe he would be like, 'I love what they're doing right now.'

"Me, personally, I hope that it's some small, technical thing they're doing (with Allar). Not, 'let's wipe the slate clean and start all over', especially if he's been doing it one way this long."

Ironically, Arth was the backup to Manning previously with the Indianapolis Colts before getting into coaching. Arth said this week that McCarthy is taking his time with Allar and Howard this month, working primarily on footwork and other intricacies.

He, too, went through McCarthy's "quarterback school" as a practice squad player for the Packers in 2006.

"It's really positive to have two young guys together, obviously at a little bit different stages and different players," Arth said Wednesday. "Two guys that are going to be very competitive with one another. They get along well, they're both great people. They're ultra competitors and they wouldn't be here if they weren't. I'm very excited to see how that continues to play out as we get into training camp and the preseason, just how the two of them bring the best out of each other.

"That's what our goal is. When you're looking at it from a competitive standpoint, you always respect the person you're competing with because they bring out the best in you. I think that Will and Drew will certainly have that type of relationship."