It didn't take long for Pittsburgh Steelers fans to buy in on rookie quarterback Drew Allar, literally and figuratively. The Steelers Pro Shop announced Friday it restocked Allar jerseys after selling out the night of his impressive NFL preseason debut against the Green Bay Packers.
Allar, a third-round pick out of Penn State, completed 10 of his 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. The 22-year-old ran for another score and played much more efficiently than he did at State College, where he flashed but never truly met his immense recruiting hype.
Still, it seems a bit premature for Steelers fans to be investing all their hope into Allar. The rookie is fourth on the depth chart behind Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Rudolph and Howard both played above Allar on Thursday, with Rudolph -- who's started 14 games for the Steelers -- completing 10 of his 11 passes for 93 yards.
There doesn't seem to be a clear pathway to immediate playing time for Allar, as the Steelers are in win-now mode with the 42-year-old Rodgers playing his final season. Perhaps Pittsburgh builds around Allar next year, but that's a big assumption to make before a single snap of the 2026 regular season.
Drew Allar SHINES in His Steelers Preseason Debut vs. Green Bay 🔥
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) August 14, 2026
10/13, 153 PYDS, 2 PTD, 1 Rushing TD pic.twitter.com/j3Zmx8dsUV
Nevertheless, Steelers fans are clearly excited about their young quarterback. It's hard to blame them as Pittsburgh has cycled through veterans like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Rodgers to little recent success.
Allar has two more preseason games to build on the hype he created Thursday night.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Drew Allar jerseys flying off Steelers' shelves after dazzling NFL debut