Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has addressed a "racy" direct message scandal involving his new Pittsburgh Steelers teammate, Drew Allar, confirming it was a topic of discussion in the team's quarterback room. Rodgers spoke on the "Not Just Football with Cam Heyward" podcast to clarify the situation, which gained traction on social media during Allar's college career at Penn State.

Screenshots of alleged direct messages between Allar and a woman circulated online in 2025, leading to widespread ridicule. Allar, who is now a teammate of Rodgers after being selected by the Steelers, has maintained that the messages were fabricated. The Steelers opted to carry four quarterbacks on their roster, including Allar.

Rodgers explained that the alleged DMs had already become a talking point among quarterbacks before Allar joined the team. "There is a DM thread out there about Drew. Oh yeah there is," Rodgers said. When asked by host Cam Heyward if the messages were "racy or racist," Rodgers clarified, "Racy." He added that Allar has been in a long-term, committed relationship and that the content of the messages was not true.

"He definitely wanted me to come on here and say it's not true and that's made up. But, it's out there. It's a little racy. A little racy," Rodgers stated on the podcast. He noted that his initial conversation with Allar upon hearing the news was about the DM situation. "The first thing I said to him was 'Hey, did that DM thing ever get you in trouble?'" Rodgers recalled. "Especially when he was like 'Yeah, I've been with my girlfriend for a long time.' I was like 'You got through that DM scandal then, huh?'"

Allar and his high school girlfriend, Emma Bush, have been dating since 2019. The couple attended separate colleges, with Bush at Ohio State and Allar at Penn State, but she regularly attended his games. They shared photos on NFL Draft night celebrating his selection by the Steelers in the third round.

Rodgers also commented on the competition for backup quarterback behind him, specifically mentioning Allar and second-year player Will Howard. "I think he kinda just closed the door on that — who is going to be the backup conversation," Rodgers said of Allar and Howard's preseason performances. "Now, obviously Drew and Will played really well, especially in the first game. I was proud of both those guys. I love Will [Howard]. He has been in my hip pocket for a year now, learning. It's fun to see him go out there because he's basically a rookie. He didn't play last year in the preseason and performed the way he did. Drew has been a sponge as well. Quiet, as most rookies are, but it's one of my all-time rooms for sure."

Rodgers, nearing the end of his career, is set to retire at the conclusion of the current season, with the Steelers seemingly preparing for the future by keeping multiple young quarterbacks on the roster. The team also has Mason Rudolph backing up Rodgers.