Who Should I Start? Drew Allar or Cole Payton

Thursday, August 13, 7:13 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Drew Allar turned in an excellent showing Thursday night, completing 10 of 13 pass attempts for 153 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score in a 28-9 preseason win over the Green Bay Packers. Although Allar did not enter until late in the third quarter, he made an immediate impact by leading a five-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. He connected with fellow rookie Kaden Wetjen on a slant that nearly went the distance, but Wetjen was eventually brought down at the three-yard line after a 74-yard gain. Allar finished the drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown. The 22-year-old later found Wetjen for a five-yard touchdown and rookie fullback Riley Nowakowski for a four-yard score that sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter. While it seems unlikely that Allar will surpass both Mason Rudolph and Will Howard on the depth chart before the regular season, a few more performances like this could keep him in the conversation for the QB2 job behind Aaron Rodgers. His next opportunity comes next Friday against the New York Jets.