The NFL’s annual Hall of Fame Game was played last week between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers but now the preseason officially begins with every team this week. There are Penn State players fighting for roster spots all over the league and the one with the biggest set of eyes of him is quarterback Drew Allar.
He had a rocky career here with the Nittany Lions but everyone knew the player he could be if he was developed properly. While he still has a long way to go to reach his full potential, he has been one of the stars of this year’s training camp and he put his skills on full display Thursday night.
Allar and the Pittsburgh Steelers took on the Green Bay Packers in an impressive showing for all of the team’s quarterbacks, but the Penn State product was easily the most impressive. He went 10-13 with 153 yards and three total touchdowns, with his biggest highlight of the night coming on a nice touch pass to wide receiver Riley Nowakowski for a touchdown.
Three drives. Three TDs for Drew Allar.
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
GBvsPIT on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/1OY9IKecGy
The Steelers have kicked around the idea of keeping four quarterbacks on the roster because of all the talent in the room and Allar’s performance is likely giving them no other option. He was the last of three signal callers to enter the game, with Aaron Rodgers sitting out, so logic would tell you the former Nittany Lion is pretty low on the depth chart.
However, it mostly speaks to how much talent Pittsburgh has at the position as opposed to being an indictment on Allar. He’s had plenty of great throws this summer and finally added some live-game highlights to that collection last night, which is only adding fuel to the fire about whether his immense talent will be unlocked in the NFL.
Someone else Penn State fans are awfully familiar with, quarterback Fernando Mendoza, also made his NFL debut last night, but it was Allar who got most of the shine. While the No. 1 overall pick may have been going against a tougher defensive unit, there’s still something to be made about a third-round pick having a better night than the perceived best quarterback in the class.
Steelers rookie QB Drew Allar in his preseason debut:
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 14, 2026
🏈10-of-13 completions
🏈154 YDS
🏈3 Total touchdowns
🏈0 interceptions pic.twitter.com/88247O6wer
Not every game and every practice is going to be a cakewalk for Allar going forward, but he looks well on his way to matching or outperforming his draft slot. He might finally be tapping into the potential that everyone thought he possessed.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Drew Allar among biggest stars in Week 1 of NFL preseason