One of the biggest storylines heading into the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason opener is the highly anticipated debuts of QBs Will Howard and Drew Allar. Howard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, missed the entire preseason with an injury last year while the Steelers selected Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Both should see a good amount of playing time, and the Steelers will be watching both closely.
Howard has the most at stake. There’s a possibility that the Steelers keep all four quarterbacks on their roster, but if they opt to keep three, the decision on the final quarterback will come down to Howard or Mason Rudolph. Head coach Mike McCarthy has given Howard a lot of praise, but he’s also taken time recently to mention how impressed he’s been with Rudolph. Howard needs to show that he can be a capable No. 2 in the league to lock down a roster spot.
That means he’ll need to prove he can push the ball downfield. One of the concerns with Howard has been his velocity on his downfield throws, and it would be good if he can show that he’s capable of making the big play if it’s available. He’s also had issues with the exchange during training camp. That can’t happen in the game. If he continues to struggle with the exchange, it’s a problem that could cost him his spot on the roster.
While there have been concerns about his work downfield, an area Howard has been good in is his touch and accuracy in the short-intermediate area. He needs to show that as an area of strength. Being able to lead his receivers and throw players open will be key.
Something else worth watching from Howard is how much he uses his legs. He’s not a dual-threat quarterback, but he showed off the ability to scramble in college and create plays himself. If he gets the chance to show off that his legs can be a tool, it would certainly help his roster case.
Allar doesn’t have the same pressure as Howard. The Steelers aren’t going to cut a third-round pick who they knew coming in was a project. But Allar could very well be the quarterback of the future, and there’s still plenty to watch for.
The biggest is whether he can hit the layups. One of his biggest issues at Penn State was his accuracy on shorter throws. You can’t win in the NFL if you can’t hit those short-area throws, and Allar is going to need to show he’s at least a little bit improved in that area. Much was made of the Steelers reworking his footwork, and it’ll be interesting to see just how mechanically different, if at all, Allar is. Old habits can die hard, and it’ll be imperative for him to take what he’s learned on the practice field and install it during a game.
One reason to be excited about Allar is he has the requisite arm strength and the tools to hit the big shots downfield. If he can connect on an explosive play or two through the air, that would be a positive. He’s made “wow” throws during training camp. But those “wow” throws can’t be followed up by him missing a receiver on a drag route over the middle.
For both quarterbacks, showing command of the huddle is important. Neither of them has led an offense in a game before. Having command, getting in and out of the huddle and running an offense without any pre-snap hiccups is going to be important and something that should be watched closely.
It probably won’t go perfectly for either quarterback. Yes, it’s “just” the preseason, but it’s the first real NFL in-stadium playing experience for either of them. But there’s still plenty both can show without it being a flawless outing to give confidence in their abilities both now and in the future. Given the quarterback battle, Howard has less leeway to make mistakes and needs to have the better performance.
While there are plenty of storylines surrounding the preseason opener, including Mike McCarthy’s first game coaching the Steelers, I have a feeling the quarterback performances are going to be what dominate the headlines come Friday.