No clear early front-runner in the Steelers backup QB derby as Rudolph, Howard and Allar all shine

PITTSBURGH (AP) — If only Mike McCarthy graded on production, then Drew Allar would be in for smooth sailing when the Pittsburgh Steelers sit down to dissect their preseason-opening win over Green Bay.

The rookie quarterback, however, is already well-versed in how his head coach's mind works. Yes, McCarthy was pleased after watching Allar throw for a pair of scores and run for another.

Yet the final product on a given play is only a piece of the puzzle. McCarthy is just as fixated on the process it takes to get there, which is why the 22-year-old Allar couldn't help but grin when asked about how his fundamentals are coming along, perhaps knowing the feedback he was going to receive in the aftermath.

“I’ll probably get a minus grade on some of my footwork,” Allar said. “It was kind of a crazy reverse out under center exchange. Other than that, I felt pretty good.”

Just as importantly, he looked pretty good while leading three long scoring drives. The third-round pick was accurate while completing 10 of 13 passes. He frequently made the right decision on where to go with the ball and showcased his athleticism while diving over for a 3-yard touchdown run.

Not bad for his first game action since last fall, when his final year at Penn State ended prematurely with a left ankle injury.

“I feel like the first rushing touchdown I had was the first hit I’ve had in, I don’t know how long, but since mid-October,” Allar said. “I feel like that kind of got the physical part out of the way. I feel like going against our defense every day in practice really helped me mentally prepare for the game.”

Allar wasn't the only student of McCarthy's “quarterback school” who aced their first test. Will Howard, playing for the first time since leading Ohio State to the College Football Playoff championship in early 2025, had no issues running the two-minute offense. He connected with tight end Robert Tonyan frequently and didn't panic during a fourth down call near midfield that required him to roll to his left, where he flipped the ball to wide receiver Ben Skowronek for a first down.

The result was great, sure. So was the jolt of confidence felt when Howard heard the play call.

“You’re, like, man, ‘Coach is throwing the ball on fourth-and-1, and he’s putting the ball in my hands,’” he said. “That feels great. I knew they were going to really trigger on that run. I think Aaron (Rodgers) had a little input on getting that play out there, and I appreciate him for that.”

Rodgers, watching from the sideline with a headset on, promised to crack some dad jokes to keep the mood light. The reality is he spent most of the night serving as an experienced resource for Allar, Howard, and Mason Rudolph, as no clear front-runner to win the quarterback derby to serve as Rodgers' backup emerged.

McCarthy appears to be in no hurry to make any sort of decision. Rudolph got the start and settled in after some shaky play by the first-team offensive line early. He consistently found rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard and did his best to keep plays alive to give the young playmakers around him time to get open.

“Not to be a broken record, I’ve been talking about it pretty much since the spring ... I really like the room,” McCarthy said. “I think it’s a really good quarterback room, and I thought they played that way tonight.”

The guys behind center weren't the only ones who stood out. Tonyan, who caught 11 touchdown passes from Rodgers when both were in Green Bay in 2020, finished with four receptions for 61 yards. Bernard caught four passes for 51 yards, and rookie Kaden Wetjen showed his elusiveness on a 74-yard catch-and-run and later pulled in a touchdown pass from Allar.

Sure, it was just an exhibition game, and both sides were more focused on getting through it healthy than on coming up with some elaborate game plan. The scheming will come later.

The preseason opener was mostly just a progress report. Plenty of work remains, but for a first-year coaching staff trying to lay a foundation and for three quarterbacks trying to prove their worth, it was a promising start.

“We have a lot to clean up, but the passing game ... I know the numbers were pretty good,” McCarthy said. “I liked the way our quarterbacks ran the offense, and that’s a big thing.”

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph throws a pass in the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) throws a pass under pressure from Green Bay Packers defensive end Collin Oliver (45) in the second half of a preseason NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Max Hurleman, left, wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (10) and quarterback Drew Allar (16) celebrate Wetjen's touchdown catch in the second half of a preseason NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) divers over Green Bay Packers linebacker Kristian Welch into the end zone for a touchdown in the second half of a preseason NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 24, 2026--

Fasset, the AI-powered stablecoin neobanking platform, today announced it has raised $68 million in Series C funding at a $1 billion valuation. The financing was led by SBI Group and follows Fasset’s $51 million Series B earlier this year, which brought Speedinvest onto the cap table alongside a group of strategic investors.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260823503947/en/

The new capital will support the expansion of Own Network, Fasset’s regulated financial network that connects banks, telcos, payment and liquidity providers to enable settlement across international markets. Fasset will also increase investment in agentic AI-enabled systems supporting corridor banking, stablecoin settlement and tokenized asset infrastructure.

After raising Series B in May, Fasset has now raised a total of $119 million in 2026. The financing marks Fasset’s entry into the global fintech unicorn category.

"Fasset's vision of a world in which money moves across borders as easily as information does point in the same direction as the on-chain economic zone that the SBI Group seeks to realize through digital finance. Fasset has already built a strong business foundation and a robust regulatory framework in a number of emerging markets with significant long-term growth potential. It was therefore in the conviction that Fasset can serve as an important financial bridge connecting Japan with high-growth markets around the world that we decided to lead this round. Within the SBI Group's "SBI APAC Digital Economic Zone" concept as well, an international remittance and settlement infrastructure built on stablecoins is a core component. Together with Fasset, we will advance the development of the next generation of on-chain financial systems, extending from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East and Africa." said Yoshitaka Kitao, Representative Director, Chairman, President & CEO, SBI Holdings, Inc.

The investment expands Fasset’s relationship with SBI Group, one of Japan’s leading comprehensive financial groups, spanning banking, securities, asset management, and private equity, with investments in companies including Ripple, Circle, and Morpho, and in group companies including B2C2.

“The next phase is about any-to-any banking. Any person to any person. Any asset to any asset. Any rail to any rail, anywhere. We built Fasset to address a simple problem: access to financial opportunity still depends too heavily on where someone lives and the financial system available to them,” said Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Co-Founder and CEO of Fasset. “The banking system is broken. It’s not enough to build another financial front on current rails. We are investing deeper into the stack, from licenses in emerging markets to enabling agentic payments, to rebuild the way we do banking from the ground up.”

“Having SBI Group lead this round speeds up our ability to serve the world by having access to the wider SBI financial ecosystem and their partners, including our previously announced partnership with SBI Remit, enabling us to leverage an extensive network that supports bank account remittances to approximately 200 countries.”

“Fasset is building the regulated infrastructure that helps people and businesses in growth markets access stablecoins, global assets and cross-border rails. That access is still too often shaped by geography. Raafi, Daniel and the team are changing that, and we are proud to have continued backing Fasset as it scales globally,” said Stefan Klestil, General Partner at Speedinvest.

Building a Financial System Around Ownership

Fasset provides financial access that allows customers to receive, hold, move, spend and invest across currencies, markets and asset classes.

Underpinning those products is Own Network, Fasset’s financial infrastructure connecting local banking systems, payment providers, financial institutions, telcos, liquidity providers, custody partners and settlement networks across more than 100 banking corridors.

Stablecoins are used within parts of the network as settlement infrastructure, allowing value to move between markets more efficiently where appropriate. Customers interact with Fasset through financial products and accounts rather than needing to manage the underlying settlement infrastructure themselves.

The company uses AI to improve how transactions are routed across payment rails, currencies, liquidity providers, and settlement methods, based on factors including cost, speed, and availability.

Fasset is built around a simple conviction: where someone is born should not determine the quality of money they can hold, the markets they can access or the assets they can own. The company is not building another interface on top of the existing financial system. It is building the infrastructure intended to replace it.

Scaling Global Infrastructure: $40B Annualized Volume

Fasset now processes more than $40 billion in annualized transaction volume, serving more than 3 million wallets across 125 countries and over 1,000 enterprises globally.

Its consumer, business and institutional products are supported by a regulatory footprint across the GCC, Asia, Europe and other international markets.

The Series C will support Fasset’s continued development as a global, AI-powered stablecoin neobanking platform, combining regulated local infrastructure, modern settlement technology and access to global assets through a single financial account.

About Fasset

Fasset is an AI-powered stablecoin neobanking platform building a global financial system around ownership. Its financial account enables individuals, businesses and institutions to receive, hold, move, spend and invest across currencies, markets and asset classes from one place.

Founded in 2019 by Mohammad Raafi Hossain and Daniel Ahmed, Fasset has raised more than $150 million in funding and serves customers across more than 125 countries and operates through regulated entities and partnerships across the GCC, Asia, Europe and other international markets.

Fasset is powered by Own Network, its regulated financial infrastructure connecting banking, payments, liquidity, custody and settlement across markets. The company is building toward a financial system where access to stable money, global markets and ownership is no longer determined by geography.

Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Co-Founder and CEO, Fasset