What Kyle Allen’s new contract with Panthers says about Carolina’s quarterback situation
One Panthers quarterback has officially been signed back for another year.
Kyle Allen signed a one-year extension with the Panthers on Tuesday. He was set to become an exclusive rights free agent next week.
Allen started 12 games last season after Cam Newton was sidelined with a Lisfranc injury in his left foot. He won the backup job over third-round pick Will Grier and finished the season completing 62 percent of passes for 3,322 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He was sacked 46 times, the third-most by any Panthers quarterback in a single season.
After having a hot stretch through his first four starts, with the team going undefeated, Allen faced difficulties in the second half of the year, throwing all 16 of his interceptions over the final nine games to just 10 touchdowns. Part of his late-season woes were due to the offensive line experiencing injuries at a number of positions. Grier started the final two games last season.
So why bring Allen, 24, back?
He comes at an extremely reasonable price. Currently, the Panthers only have to pay him $585,000, the league minimum for a player with one accrued season.
If the new CBA is passed (votes must be in by Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET), Allen’s salary could go up to $675,000, per new CBA documents from the NFLPA. That’s a reasonable price for a quarterback who has proven to be a good backup option. He showed throughout the season an ability to stay calm under pressure, which is important when needing to come into a game at any moment.
Because of the price point Allen comes at, this move was nowhere near a surprise. It means nothing toward whether the Panthers will trade Newton down the line. Having Allen on the team is a good option either way, outside of the fact that he put up impressive performances on the road against playoff teams, especially against the Packers and Saints. He provides depth at the most important position and an option in the offseason as Newton continues to work his way to full health.
Newton has been throwing again and is working back toward being in game shape.
The team has Allen, Grier and Newton as the three quarterbacks under contract for the 2020 season. The Panthers have re-signed all but three of their exclusive rights free agents — tackle/tight end Marcus Baugh, tackle Brandon Greene and guard Kitt O’Brien.
Allen was undrafted out of Houston in 2018 and made his first career start in Week 17 of the 2018 season in New Orleans. He won his first five starts of his career, but then went 1-8 over the next nine.
If offered a contract by their current team, exclusive rights free agents must accept that deal. They can only entertain offers from other franchises if their current team does not try to re-sign.
This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 12:33 PM.
