Even the coaches Drew Allar had at Penn State know they didn’t exactly help him to be a pro. Now he’s figuring it out on his own. Or at least, he’s figuring out with professional coaching that much work takes place on your own. Heading into his first training camp, he already has a busy itinerary—and the right mindset.
A third-round pick, Drew Allar was once considered a first-round quarterback prospect. Inconsistent play and injury helped damage his draft stock until the Steelers selected him with the 76th overall pick. Now working under HC Mike McCarthy, QB coach Tom Arth, and with QB Aaron Rodgers, he is learning how to be a professional.
“I feel like I’ve taken the right step. Now I’ve just got to keep continuing to work on it in my free time”, Allar said, via the Steelers’ website, about progress he’s made through the summer. “I don’t just watch myself. I watch all the reps from the quarterbacks because there’s always something you can learn from everybody”, he added in response to another question. “You really have to take time out of your day when you’re not in the facility to really prepare yourself”.
Drew Allar has the most talent from a Steelers quarterback draft pick in years. But it’s up to not just the coaching staff, but himself to bring his talent to the surface. He has the size that you want, and the arm strength. Right now, the Steelers are working on resetting his footwork, among other things. And he has help he’ll be working with in the form of John Beck and 3DQB.
“I feel like it’s gonna go really well”, Allar said of his plans ahead of training camp and integrating his coaching with the Steelers with his private coaching. “I just need to get all the information I can from the coaches here and what they want me to keep working on, what throws, what drills, so then I can take that to John [Beck] and all the trainers I’m with, and then also when I can work out on my own when I’m not with them”.
Beck has previously worked with, among others, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott, so there is some familiarity with what Steelers HC Mike McCarthy wants. Allar has already been working with him for over a year, as he told reporters, but now he has a professional plan to work with.
Of course, this season will be about development for Drew Allar, who is likely to spent the year as the third quarterback. Barring the unlikely event that the Steelers carry four quarterbacks, he should at least dress for games. But he would only serve as the emergency quarterback, who can only enter a game if the first two quarterbacks are injured.
The Steelers, though, drafted him thinking that he is the potential to be a starter. They need Allar to develop, and that’s largely on him. The coaching staff is giving him the structure, but he seems prepared to apply the necessary mindset and work ethic to get the most out of his abilities.
Recommended for you