Kyle Allen’s NFL career got off to a magical start when he won his first four starts, a feat that drew some attention because only one other undrafted free-agent quarterback in the previous two decades won four consecutive games to start his career. That player was Kurt Warner, who won a Super Bowl in his first season as a starter for the Rams and ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Allen’s career didn’t take off like Warner’s, but he’s entering his seventh year in the NFL and his first season with the Steelers after signing on as a free agent earlier this spring to be the No. 3 quarterback behind Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
The Steelers are Allen’s fifth team, but he’s still drawing an NFL paycheck thanks to his first two seasons in the league when he won six games in 13 starts with the Carolina Panthers. Allen’s first career victory came late in his rookie season against the New Orleans Saints, and he got an extended opportunity in the next season while Cam Newton was rehabbing an injury.
Allen ended up with a 5-7 record as a starter in his second season, but his instant success gave him a name in league circles.
“I was undrafted, so I needed an opportunity to play to stick around,” Allen said Tuesday afternoon at Steelers OTAs. “I would have been out of the league pretty quick if I didn’t get a chance to play at all. You have to take advantage of your opportunities when they come, and I took advantage of enough of them to still be here. I’m just hoping to keep taking advantage of them when they come.”
After his two-year stint in Carolina, Allen landed in Washington with former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera for two more years. He also spent one season in Houston and last season in Buffalo before signing with the Steelers.
In addition to Newton, Allen played with Dwayne Haskins, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinicke in Washington, Davis Mills in Houston and Josh Allen with the Bills.
Newton, Haskins and Josh Allen were first-round picks. There was a time not all that long ago that Kyle Allen thought he would be one, too.
In 2013, he was the No. 1-ranked quarterback prospect in the country when he signed with Texas A&M out of Desert Mountain High School in Arizona. He played for the Aggies in 2014 and 2015, but midway through his sophomore season, he was benched in favor of another highly touted recruit.
Kyler Murray, who four years later would be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, was part of the Aggies’ 2015 recruiting class. Allen beat him out for the starting job and opened the season with five consecutive victories, but he threw three interceptions in a blowout loss to Alabama that opened the door for Murray to win the job for the remainder of the season.
Allen then sat out the 2016 season under NCAA transfer rules before finishing out his college career at Houston, but he barely played for the Cougars after Tom Herman left for the head-coaching job at Texas over the offseason. Allen started the first two games of the season before new coach Major Applewhite benched him.
Not wanting to transfer and start over again, Allen declared early for the draft after the 2017 season but didn’t hear his name called.
“There was a ton of adversity going to college and thinking you’re going to be a first-round pick and then being undrafted,” he said. “I think it was good for me though. I think I figured out who I was. I dealt with the adversity well and figured a way around it. I’m where I’m at today. I can’t be mad about how it happened. I’m in Year 7 when it was always my dream to play in the NFL. How can I not be happy about it?”
Even if he’s a backup, Allen knows he has to be ready all the time. Even though he’s only started six games over the past four seasons, he knows his next start could be just around the corner. The Steelers know it, too.
Last season, Mason Rudolph began the season as the No. 3 quarterback, but by season’s end, he was the starter and led the Steelers into their playoff game against the Bills.
Allen has been on good teams and bad teams — and with a lot of quarterbacks who have helped him.
“You pull stuff from everybody,” Allen said. “Everyone sees the game different. Everyone has different strengths. Everyone has seen different things over their years. The game evolves, too. The game is different now than when it was my rookie year when I played with Cam. It’s different schematics, different trends. So you just try to pull from everyone that you come into contact with.”
This stop on Allen’s NFL journey has only just begun, but it’s already unique. All three quarterbacks, quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are new to the Steelers. It’s made for an interesting first month on the job.
“It’s been good,” Allen said. “I’m at the point in my career when I’ve seen a ton of football. I’ve played a lot of football. So have all the other guys in that room. It’s good for us to bounce ideas off each other. We’re all coming from different situations into a new room. Even the coaches, it’s a completely new room. I think everyone is coming in with a mindset that it’s a fresh start. That always helps.”
Ray Fittipaldo: rfittipaldo@post-gazette.com and @rayfitt1 on X
First Published: May 28, 2024, 7:42 p.m.
