Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Rookie Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar was one year old when Aaron Rodgers made his NFL debut.
When the Steelers drafted Allar in the third round in late April, it wasn’t yet clear whether he and Rodgers would be teammates.
But, soon enough, the Steelers re-signed Rodgers, meaning Allar would get to learn from one of the best in NFL history.
In Allar’s first interview since Rodgers re-signed, he admitted it was a surreal moment when he got to meet the legend.
The first question Rodgers asked Allar might not be what one would expect.
“The first question he asked me was ‘what do I ask the barber when I get my haircut?'” Allar remembered.
Since then, the two have talked football, and although we’re only in June, the 42-year-old has already made an impression on the kid.
“I’ve definitely learned a ton,” Allar said. “Like Aaron’s done a great job of just being very open with me, answering all my questions. Pulling me aside during practices, if he sees something, and me asking him a lot of questions. He’s done a great amount of help already for me. So I’m really excited to keep learning from him. And honestly, just keep watching him play.”
Allar will have a front row seat to the last days of Rodgers pro career.
Rodgers confirmed with reporters last month that Year 22 will be the last for him.
In the same conference, Rodgers was asked about mentoring Allar and Will Howard, a second-year player also in the Steelers quarterback room.
“To coin a phrase after a guy that I’ve followed, it’s not in my job description,” Rodgers said, “but I think it’s a great opportunity, for sure, to be able to mentor those guys.”
“The guy that I’ve followed” was Brett Favre, for those who might not know.
Allar’s first NFL coach will be a guy who coached both Favre and Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy.
Going back to the NFL Combine, well before Allar or anybody else knew he’d be a Steeler, Allar said that McCarthy gave him his toughest pre-draft interview.
Now, he’s gotten to work with McCarthy and said that he’s “very, very good at explaining the why behind everything.”
“So just being as detailed as possible with that in the classroom and with the playbook, so then when you go out here, you kind of just go out and play it and not have to think too much,” Allar said. “He’s done a great job of that. We’re going through the process of simplifying things a little bit right now. So that’s been good so far.
The first look people got of Allar in a Steelers uniform took place at rookie minicamp last month, and a viral video led to comments about his footwork, which is undergoing a great change.
On tape, it looks awkward, and as any change is, it’s supposed to.
But Allar doesn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Not really,” he said, “it’s really...
