At this time last year, Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback Brandon Allen was competing for a spot on the team’s roster. And he hardly got any reps in practice.
Allen was the Bengals “COVID quarterback” last season. He was supposed to learn the offense, stay away from the other quarterbacks because of coronavirus contact tracing protocols and be prepared in case the team needed him.
Allen spent the first 10 weeks of the regular season on the Bengals practice squad. But he immediately became the team’s starter after Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury. After Allen averaged 185 passing yards and a touchdown per game in 2020, he solidified his spot as the Bengals backup quarterback behind Burrow in 2021.