The NFL preseason is officially upon us.

Last night, the Pittsburgh Steelers played the first of three preseason matchups, cruising to a comfortable 28-9 win over the Green Bay Packers in the first game action of the Mike McCarthy era in Pittsburgh.

Three quarterbacks took snaps for the Steelers, and several names made their opening arguments for roster spots as kickoff to the regular season is now in sight. Here’s three thoughts I had watching last night’s preseason game:

1: Drew Allar Won Last Night’s Battle

Let’s just get right to dessert.

Preseason football isn’t always the easiest sell. The Hall of Fame Game last week set high expectations for games that are usually somewhat sloppy, penalty filled, and filled with names even hardcore fans might have to look up. But, ahead of tonight’s action against Green Bay, there was plenty of buzz for the first opportunity to see both Will Howard and Drew Allar take snaps for the Steelers.

Howard, who missed his preseason chance last season after suffering an injury in training camp, would split time with this spring’s third-round pick Allar after the established veteran Mason Rudolph opened the game. It was a chance for fans to see a glimpse of the future, and the first real competitive test in this camp competition between the two young quarterbacks.

I don’t know who will win this war, but I think Allar won the battle Thursday night. Don’t get me wrong, Howard had an efficient 86 yards on 7-for-9 passing with some strong looks.

But I think Allar bested him in this game. Taking over early in the third quarter, Allar helped orchestrate a touchdown drive in his first action as a Steeler, and finished 10-of-13 for 154 passing yards, three total touchdowns, and a 155.1 passer rating.

Yes, the majority of those yards came after the catch. If he ends up winning a spot on the active roster, he might owe the likes of Kaden Wetjen and Max Hurleman a steak dinner. But Allar stood tall in the pocket, delivering strikes to the middle of the field for big catch-and-run gains. He also knew when to roll around and move in the pocket, made a touchdown throw off his back foot and he didn’t put himself in any serious danger.

It’s preseason, and you have to keep that in mind. But there was a lot to like from Allar in this game, and although Howard had a decent game as well, I think Allar’s stock rose much higher following last night.

2: Kaleb Johnson Can’t Catch A Break

A lot can change over the course of a season. Heck, a lot can change between now and before the regular season kicks off. However, it is a little telling to me that, even in a preseason game, multiple running backs got work ahead of Kaleb Johnson.

Johnson, who was Pittsburgh’s third-round selection last year, had a nightmare rookie season. Inexplicably placed on kickoff return duty to start the year, Johnson suffered that infamous Week 2 blunder where he let a kicked ball bounce over his head, unaware it was live. Johnson jogged toward the sideline as Seattle pounced on the loose ball for a touchdown.

It was all downhill from there. Johnson was almost stapled to the bench; he no longer returned kicks, was inactive for several weeks, and limited to 28 total carries for 69 yards.

For Johnson, perhaps a new head coach would give the Iowa product a new lease on football life. And while it’s still early, it’s not an encouraging sign for him to see running backs Travis Homer and Lew Nichols get snaps ahead of him. Johnson didn’t get involved until the second half, and even then he was held to two carries, the lowest of any running back.

I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but things really can’t look much worse for Johnson.

3: Max Hurleman Begins Another Roster Spot Campaign

After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Hurleman signed a deal with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent. He had some moments in the preseason last year, including a 29-yard, touchdown performance against Jacksonville.

Ultimately, he fell short of the 53-man roster and spent the year on the practice squad. Now in 2026, Hurleman is back for another go and hoping to stick around as a depth option on offense.

He certainly has a hill to climb, but he got off to a good start with three catches for 46 yards. He showed some strong chemistry with Allar in the quarterback spot, which could bode well for him if Allar makes the roster and plays any meaningful snaps this season.

The Colgate product will have to show he can continue to excel no matter who is throwing the football. Shining in preseason action also isn’t necessarily new for Hurleman, and unfortunately for him, he can’t prove he’s more than a preseason darling unless he actually makes the active roster and gets a chance.

But he had a good night tonight, and for his sake, that’s what he needed to do.