It’s been a while since the Detroit Lions have had a staple at backup quarterback. The longest-tenured backup (not third string) the team has had under coach Dan Campbell was Teddy Bridgewater who was on the team for two seasons, granted he didn’t come back for year two until he was done coaching his high school football team. Before Campbell was the coach, the Lions were in a similar situation at backup quarterback, a revolving door of players coming in and stepping out.
I had to go back from 2014-16 where the team had Dan Orlovsky as the backup quarterback for three-straight seasons, and before him, the team had Shaun Hill from 2010-13. What I’m getting at is the team could use some consistency at its backup quarterback spot, someone who will be here during the whole season and continue to stick around for a while. The team could finally have that in Kyle Allen.
Let’s discuss whether the Lions should keep Allen around for another year, or if they should keep that revolving door swinging.
Previous Lions free agent profiles: DT DJ Reader, LB Malcolm Rodriguez, DB Avonte Maddox, CB Rock Ya-Sin
Kyle Allen
The Lions were looking to give former third-round pick Hendon Hooker some competition for the backup job with Bridgewater signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team believed Hooker could win the backup job, but wanted to make him earn it instead of handing it over. Detroit signed Allen to a one-year deal for $1.27 million.
With Allen’s past, he was looked down upon as the obvious third-string option and the job would be something Hooker should win. While Hooker wasn’t impressing greatly, he was in his third year in the league and second training camp after missing a majority of his rookie year in 2023. The team drafted him to be a potential backup so it was understandable that they had that confidence in him before the season began. By September, Allen was projected to be an afterthought or practice squad guy.
Actual role in 2025
Note: PFF grades reflect a minimum 20% snaps at that position. Allen didn’t hit this threshold
Season stats — 3 games (0 starts): 0-for-2 for 0 yards, three carries for -3 yards.
16 offensive snaps
PFF offensive grade: 73.7
PFF passing grade: 73
PFF running grade: 60.5
Despite all of the slander Allen got from multiple people (myself included), he impressed in training camp and the preseason and defeated Hooker for the backup job. While it looked close in practice, Allen was clearly the better gamer, and he took care of the football in the preseason, unlike Hooker. With that, not only did the Lions give him the backup quarterback job, they ended up cutting Hooker from the roster, leaving the team with only two quarterbacks. They would later add C.J. Beathard to the practice squad as the clear QB3.
Allen didn’t see much playing time, only appearing in garbage time in three games and while he never completed a pass, it didn’t matter overall.
Outlook for 2026
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent
Pros of re-signing
Allen returning would be a cheap and easy decision for the team. He could be the next version of Hill or Orlovsky where he could stick around for a few years, learn, and help Goff out during film sessions and practice. While Goff is a veteran himself, having another quarterback who has been in the league for a while helps offer a second pair of seasoned eyes. That could be especially helpful as Detroit installs their new offense under Drew Petzing.
Who knows? Maybe Allen has another strong showing in the preseason, and if Detroit likes their third-string option, they could trade Allen for some draft capital in 2027.
Cons of re-signing
The team could find a better backup than Allen. Someone like Joe Flacco would be an option. Upgrading the backup would cost some extra money, but that could be worth it to provide some insurance at the most important position. Outside of that, there really isn’t a downside.
Is there interest from both sides?
I don’t see why not. Detroit saw the value in Allen and believed he was better than someone they drafted. So the Lions clearly like him.
I would lean towards Allen liking Detroit for seeing his skills and trusting him. He isn’t going to win any starting jobs around the NFL, so he’s a career backup at this point. Unless he wants to go somewhere else that would offer him more money, another year in Detroit makes sense for both sides.
Cost?
Allen deserves a little bit of a pay bump for winning the backup job last year. He’s earned roughly the same amount of money the past three years, with his biggest deal being for $2.5 million with the Houston Texans back in 2022. I don’t think he gets that much of a pay bump, but I could see him warranting $1.5 to $1.75 million on another one-year deal unless the team wants to commit to him longer. The max I could see is a two-year deal for $3 million.
Conclusion
Overall, I see it as a slam dunk decision to bring back Allen in 2026. While the offensive coordinator has changed, he will be right alongside Goff in that adjustment, whatever it may be. He knows the roster and coaching staff, and I don’t think the team would sign someone to try and uproot Allen out of Detroit. The team needs to have better consistency at the backup quarterback spot and Allen is the best fit for that.
What do you think the Lions should do with Kyle Allen? Vote in the poll below and let us know in the comments.
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