Kenny Pickett taught every Pittsburgh Steelers fan to never overreact to preseason play. But sometimes, it’s hard not to. Drew Allar’s three-touchdown performance in the Steelers’ 28-9 win over the Green Bay Packers in their preseason opener is one of those times—especially when a former NFL quarterback is already saying things like this.

“Motion is cleaner, same arm talent, more accuracy!” Luke McCown wrote on X. “Thought Will Howard did well, but this guy can be different. High round 1 talent in the 3rd round—they may have their guy.”

Motion is cleaner,
same arm talent, more accuracy!

Thought Will Howard did well, but this guy can be different. High round 1 talent in the 3rd round— they may have their guy. https://t.co/2iV7Uvdy6m

— Luke McCown (@luke_mccown) August 14, 2026

Allar showed off everything you could want from a third-round rookie making his preseason debut. The arm strength was there, his decision-making was sound, and he consistently hit the easy throws. Most importantly, he looked like he belonged. Fellow rookie RB Eli Heidenreich said he felt at ease with Allar because of the command he showed in the huddle and on the field.

In three drives, Allar completed 10 of his 13 pass attempts, including two-for-two on third down, for 153 yards, two passing TDs, and a rushing TD. His impressive performance earned him a near-perfect 154.8 passer rating.

His fundamentals and footwork are still a work in progress, but a trained QB eye like McCown’s already noticing an improved throwing motion is a huge positive for Allar and the Steelers. That will only continue to improve as Mike McCarthy’s QB school becomes second nature to him — just look at how it helped transform Aaron Rodgers over the first few years of his career.

If this is what Allar looks like while he’s still learning, what might he look like as a finished product? That’s ultimately why the Steelers used the No. 76 overall pick in the draft to select him.

If he follows this up with two more strong preseason performances, the Steelers may have to rethink their entire plan moving forward. Do they pass on drafting a first-round QB next year? And is there any chance Allar could become the primary backup as a rookie? It’s still too early to tell, but the Steelers couldn’t have asked for a better first step from Allar.