Drummers get told they do not need theory, and then get asked in rehearsal whether the bridge is in 6/8 or 12/8. The truth sits in the middle. You do not need to read a full score, but a handful of ideas will make you faster to learn songs and easier to play with.
Rhythm is your home turf
You already feel pulse and groove better than most players. Theory just gives names to it: the beat, the bar, the time signature and the subdivision. In 4/4 there are four quarter-note beats per bar. Split each beat in two and you get eighth notes, split it in four and you get sixteenths.
Time signatures worth knowing
4/4 covers most rock and pop. 3/4 is the waltz feel. 6/8 is two big beats, each split into three. 12/8 is four beats split into three, which is why it feels like a slow rolling groove. 5/4 and 7/8 show up in prog and jazz, and they are easier once you count them in groups (3+2, 2+2+3).
Song structure
Most songs are built from verses, choruses and bridges, usually in groups of four or eight bars. If you can hear where a section starts and count the bars, you will land fills and crashes in the right place without reading anything.
A little pitch knowledge goes far
You do not need scales for the drums, but knowing the key and when the chords change helps you follow a song. Ask the band for the chord chart and listen for the root moving. Tuning toms to the key of the song is a nice touch if you want it.
Talking to the band
Words like bar, count-in, half-time, double-time, push and pull come from theory. Knowing them saves rehearsal time.
I wrote a longer guide with examples here: Music Theory for Drummers: What You Actually Need to Know.
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