It's not every day that you get drafted by the team that you grew up hating.
Drew Allar, the former Penn State quarterback and Ohio native, just experienced that phenomenon after getting picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Allar and his family have had Cleveland Browns season tickets since he was a young boy growing up in Medina, Ohio, a town just 30 minutes from Cleveland.
As one can imagine, when the Steelers selected Allar, his initial reaction showed his family celebrating in the background. But he was reluctant to wear a Steelers ballcap as he placed it on his head as TV cameras captured the moment. He later told Pittsburgh journalists that his childhood love for the Browns was "out the window" with his dedication now to his new employer, the Steelers.
Drew Allar's ties to the Browns make his landing spot even more painful
Allar had speculated months ago at the NFL Scouting Combine that it would be "surreal" to play for his favorite team growing up. There was speculation that it could happen, as the Browns were thought to be considering drafting an additional quarterback. Instead, Cleveland selected Taylen Green of Arkansas in the sixth round.
Allar had an up-and-down college career at Penn State and was coming off a broken ankle back in the fall. Despite that, the Steelers picked him late in the third round.
Coming out of high school, Allar was considered to be one of the best quarterback prospects and a lock to be a first-round draft pick when he entered the NFL. That didn't go as planned. While he had the physical traits of a pro-level quarterback, standing at 6-foot-5 with a big arm, he was inconsistent at Penn State, and that led to mid-round projections in this year's draft.
The Steelers once had another former Ohio native named Ben Roethlisberger play quarterback. Does anyone remember him and the nightmares he gave the Browns every time they played? Cleveland fans are happy that "Big Ben" is retired now. He had a whopping 26-2-1 record against their favorite team.
While Allar has a lot to prove in the NFL, Pittsburgh may be hoping for another sustained run like they got from Big Ben. For now, Allar will try to adjust to playing for his least favorite team ever.
Browns fans are hoping this experiment is a complete failure.
Add us as a preferred source on Google