Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has a lot of belief in one of the team's backup quarterbacks.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have high hopes for quarterback Drew Allar , who they selected in the third round (No. 76 overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has tempered those expectations for Year 1.
When speaking about the Steelers new-look quarterback room, McCarthy seemed to give a strong early endorsement for fellow backup quarterback Will Howard .
"We've talked about quarterbacks for 20 years, and it's all about adding the right people to the room," McCarthy said on Mad Dog Sport Radio . " Will Howard is someone I'm extremely excited about. I think our short time together, there's a lot there to work with, and I think he's going to be definitely a starter in this league."
This isn't to say Howard is going to start over Allar this season as the team is still hoping Aaron Rodgers decides to return for another year. However, if that isn't how things play out, Howard could be the next man up.
Howard, 24, was sidelined for most of his rookie season, but he impressed at Ohio State, throwing for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2024.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in a game against Penn State on Nov. 2, 2024. — Matthew Lynch / Nittany Sports Now
That doesn't mean the Steelers don't view Allar as part of their long-term plans, though.
"It's a really good room for Drew to come into," McCarthy continued. "He needs to come in, he's a rookie, and he needs to learn it. But there's a method to how we train the quarterback position, and I'm just trying to have the best competitive quarterback room that we possibly can have. I think we definitely accomplished that by drafting Drew."
Allar certainly has a strong case for himself. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2024, leading Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinals while passing for 3,327 yards, 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
However, it sounds like fans hoping to see Allar in action this season may have to postpone those feelings another year.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Mike McCarthy Backs Steelers QB: 'He's Going to Be a Starter in This League'
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