Brandon Allen joining Bengals’ practice squad

The Bengals waived quarterback Brandon Allen on Saturday, but it looks like he’ll be staying in Cincinnati.

According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, Allen is being signed to the Bengals’ practice squad.

Allen doesn’t have much playing experience, but the former sixth-round pick out of Arkansas in the 2016 NFL Draft has been in the league long enough that he’ll be the old man of Cincinnati’s quarterback room.

Originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Allen spent his rookie season as the team’s third-string quarterback, then was waived in 2017 during final roster cuts. He was then claimed by the Los Angeles Rams, where he would be the third-stringer for the entire 2017 season.

In 2018, Allen was waived early in the regular season before being signed to the Rams’ practice squad, where he spent the rest of the season before signing a futures contract the following offseason.

During his two years with the Rams, Allen got to work with Zac Taylor, who was the team’s quarterbacks coach before becoming Cincinnati’s head coach in the 2019 offseason.

In 2019, the Rams waived Allen during final roster cuts, and he was claimed by the Denver Broncos, where he backed up Joe Flacco. After an injury to Flacco in Week 8, Allen became the starting quarterback. He made his first start in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns, where he threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–19 victory.

Allen would lose his next two starts before second-round rookie Drew Lock came off injured reserve and started the rest of the season. Allen then hit free agency this offseason and was signed by the Bengals in late July as training camp began.

For now, Joe Burrow and Ryan Finley are the only quarterbacks signed to the Bengals’ 53-man roster. But if either of them gets hurt, Allen is right there in the building ready to come off the practice squad.