The Pittsburgh Steelers’ addition of quarterback Drew Allar was one of the stories of the 2026 NFL Draft, as the Steelers have set up a quarterback battle between the Penn State product and second-year quarterback Will Howard. Regardless of if Aaron Rodgers returns or not, Allar and Howard will both have a chance to prove that they can be the future of the Steelers.
There have been many detractors toward Allar and the Steelers’ decision to draft him, many harping back on his messy footwork and decision-making
when the play breaks down. Additionally, he had spotty performances against lesser teams like Villanova in 2025. Those who push back on the struggles point to the Andy Kotelnicki offense being a terrible fit for Allar – and one of Allar’s Penn State coaches agrees.
Joining 93.7 The Fan, Penn State associate head coach Terry Smith says the offense was a bad fit for Allar.
“I’ve been known as the truth teller here at Penn State,” Smith said. “And I think unfairly to Drew, our system wasn’t built for him. It wasn’t made for him. Some of the decisions were taken out of his control.”
Smith became the team’s interim head coach after James Franklin was fired following a loss to Northwestern – the same game in which Allar suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Despite the perceived bad fit, Allar still helped the Nittany Lions make it to the semi-finals of the College Football Playoff in the 2024 season, helping Penn State defeat SMU and Boise State before falling to Notre Dame.
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