During rookie minicamp, Drew Allar frequently engaged with head coach Mike McCarthy on the sideline.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Drew Allar began his Steelers journey this past weekend, taking deliberate, measured steps. At rookie minicamp, the former Penn State quarterback executed two- and three-step drops with near-robotic precision. That was by design — the Steelers are methodically rebuilding the third-round pick’s footwork from scratch, prioritizing accuracy above all else.
Coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth were heavily involved in every rep, offering small corrections after nearly each play. “Right now, it’s a lot about my lower half — cleaning up footwork,” Allar explained. “With play-action, it’s about getting out from under center, which is still new to me. Some drop-back stuff under center… I’m working on keeping a wider base, keeping my feet grounded rather than being on my toes. It’s all fundamental stuff I need to stay conscious of.”
The three-day camp marked the beginning of a development process that will be closely watched throughout OTAs, training camp, and the 2026 season. The McCarthy-Allar partnership is fascinating from both sides. Allar possesses everything you can’t teach: a 6-foot-5 frame, nearly 10-inch hands, and elite arm talent. These physical traits give him a high ceiling, yet he never fully realized it at Penn State. Now, he gets to learn from McCarthy, a quarterback guru who created his own “QB School” to refine mechanics. Other passers, including Aaron Rodgers, have benefited from McCarthy’s restructuring of their footwork.
“I think a big part of quarterback play is understanding each player’s individual profile,” McCarthy said. “They’re all built differently. It was great to get him on film. The first thing we did with Drew — same as Will (Howard) and Mason (Rudolph) — was create a profile tape. We evaluated that yesterday and tried some things today that he responded to very well.”
The emphasis on footwork is intentional. In the West Coast offense, a quarterback’s footwork must sync with receiver route depths. Proper timing allows a quarterback to move through progressions more smoothly. A major criticism of Allar during his final seasons at Penn State was his inconsistent footwork. “Every coach teaches footwork differently,” Allar said. “Coach McCarthy has his beliefs, and they’ve clearly worked.” While it will take time for Allar to adapt, he now has a clear blueprint. “I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” Allar added. “I know what I need to work on and how to work on it.”
Here are additional observations from minicamp:
**McCarthy’s hands-on approach**
The Steelers, known for hiring young, defensive-minded head coaches, made a significant shift by bringing in an older coach specializing in offense. The difference was evident from the first practice. McCarthy is extremely hands-on with his young quarterback. In fact, he provided more detailed, nuanced feedback to Allar than Mike Tomlin ever did during my time covering the former head coach — a reflection of Tomlin’s background as a defensive coordinator.