Steelers GM reveals ‘good’ Aaron Rodgers talks as Drew Allar’s ‘unheard of’ workload piles on pressure

The Pittsburgh Steelers got a good glimpse at their potential future this week.

The Black and Gold selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar with the 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Getty

Allar will join Will Howard and Mason Rudolph in the quarterback room, with Aaron Rodgers yet to decide whether he will return.

Rodgers has reportedly been in Pittsburgh this weekend, but hasn’t visited with the Steelers or gone to the facility.

The Steelers placed the unrestricted free agent (UFA) tender on Rodgers, meaning if he does not sign by July 22, Pittsburgh will retain exclusive negotiation rights.

As has been the case all offseason, Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan revealed both parties have been speaking with each other.

“We had a really cool year with Aaron last year,” Khan said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. 

“I know we didn’t reach our goal, which is to win a Super Bowl. Aaron came in last summer and we got to know him and he got to know us. It was pretty cool. 

“I didn’t really know him. and got to know him. Good person, really intelligent person. I’ve said before, pound-for-pound, one of the toughest people I’ve ever been around. He really is.

“We’ve had positive communications. I know Coach has talked to him, I’ve talked to him. I, obviously, communicate with his representatives. 

“We’ve had good conversations throughout the process. That’s how it is. It’s part of the process. But it’s been good. It’s been positive.”

With Rodgers leading the team, the Steelers ended their NFC West title drought, but were dismantled by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round.

Getty

Getty

Rodgers proved he still has something in the tank, throwing for 3322 yards and 24 touchdowns, but his wildcard performance left plenty to be desired.

After the exit, former head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away from his role after 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, and they hired Mike McCarthy in a move that didn’t go down well with fans.

Drew Allar shines in Steelers minicamp spotlight

McCarthy has long been recognized for his ability to develop quarterbacks. He was Rodgers’ head coach with the Green Bay Packers during their prime years.

Allar is the youngest quarterback on the team, and the only one on the roster who was hand picked by McCarthy.

Allar was the only quarterback among the 40 players taking part in practices at Rookie camp, which had plenty of 11-on-11 action.

“Running a two-hour practice with only one QB is rather unheard of in NFL circles, even in rookie minicamp,” Chris Adamski of Triblive.com said.

Getty

“That the Steelers chose to do so with Allar is a sign of the vigilance with which much the organization is focusing on his development.” 

Steelers beat writer Mark Kaboly gave his insight on Allar’s performance throughout the weekend.

“You have to be very careful (as media and fans) to read anything into rookie minicamp,” Kaboly tweeted.

“HOWEVER, there is no denying how well Drew Allar spins it. Not debatable. Can’t argue with me so don’t try.”

Allar’s tireless weekend didn’t just show he can handle the physical strain of the NFL, it gave Pittsburgh a highly reassuring glimpse of what life might look like whenever their veteran signal-caller finally decides to walk away.

Stay up to date with the NFL across all our talkSPORT platforms – subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest news, opinion, exclusive interviews and our daily unfiltered, unscripted show ‘The S* Word, from 8am ET