Jerome Bettis Says Quiet Part About Penn State's Drew Allar

Of all the questions that former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar needs to answer in the NFL, developing into the player that everybody knows he can be is at the top of that list. 

Allar, one of the more intriguing players in the 2026 NFL Draft, ended up going in the third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Going to the Steelers seemed like a perfect opportunity for the young man, especially after Aaron Rodgers had said he was returning to the team. 

Rodgers, undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time, even at this stage of his career, not only has a chance to be a very good player in Pittsburgh this season, but also a real opportunity to make an impact on guys like Allar. 

There's a reason why many consider him one of the greatest in NFL history, which is exactly why I was very excited for Allar to end up with Pittsburgh.

Other legends in the Steelers organization feel the same way, which is why the most recent comments from one of the greatest of all time really make it seem like there's a lot to like about what can happen over the next few months and years.

"Hopefully he can pick up a whole lot. When you have a Hall of Fame player at your position in the building, you should soak up everything you can," Jerome Bettis said, per DJ Siddiqi of Action Network. "Hopefully that happens, and Drew sees it, understands it, and utilizes it. Because that's a rare opportunity to have a player of that stature and ability in the building, so hopefully that helps springboard him to a great career as well."

"You look at him, he's a dynamic football player. He's made some bad decisions in his day, and I think that's what you gotta clean up. But you look at the physical traits and ability, it's there," Bettis continued. "You look at him at the end of his junior year, there was talk about him being a top 10-15 pick. He decided to come back, and it didn't work out the way he wanted to, and got injured, and his stock fell, but it doesn't change that his ability is still there. His capabilities are there. I think he's a really good quarterback that just needs to learn the NFL game, and you can't ask for a better teacher than Aaron Rodgers."

Right now, Allar doesn't have too many worries. The reality is that the Steelers brought him in expecting to have a guy who can eventually develop into an NFL quarterback. 

Still, it isn't like Allar is a terrible player, but he has a lot to work on. With Rodgers and the Steelers, as I touched on, the hope is that he can really figure it out. He has a lot of tools, and just as Bettis said, was viewed as a top 10 to 15 pick just a year ago.

The injury didn't help, and he didn't exactly play well last year for Penn State, but there's plenty of other things to like about the young man, so I'm excited about this.