Moving on from their entire 2023 quarterback group, the Steelers have an interesting replacement setup on tap. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields comprise the core components of the 2024 QB room, but the team added a third piece Monday.
Kyle Allen is joining the Steelers, per ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor. The well-traveled passer spent last season with the Bills as Josh Allen‘s backup. As long as both Wilson and Fields are on the Steelers, the former Carolina, Washington and Houston backup stands to hold steady at No. 3 on Pittsburgh’s depth chart.
Additionally, GM Omar Khan said the team is adding defensive lineman Dean Lowry as well. An eight-year veteran, Lowry operated as a Packers D-line starter for several seasons. He signed a two-year Vikings deal in 2023 but found himself a cap casualty earlier this month.
To close last season, the Bills’ two-Allen plan comprised the depth chart on the AFC East champions’ active roster. The team dressed only the Allens at QB against Pittsburgh in the wild-card round. With Mitch Trubisky moving from a Steelers cut back into a role as the Bills’ QB2, Kyle Allen is on the move. The six-year veteran, as of now, has a clear path to becoming the Steelers’ QB3.
A former UDFA, Allen has 19 starts on his resume. Most of them came for the 2019 Panthers, who lost Cam Newton to a season-ending foot injury early that year. Allen then followed Ron Rivera to Washington, factoring into a QB room housing Dwayne Haskins and Alex Smith. Both 2020 Washington passers were out of the picture by 2021, with Haskins a backup in Pittsburgh and Smith retiring. Allen stood as Taylor Heinicke‘s backup for most of the ’21 season. He overtook Davis Mills as a Texans starter for two games in 2022 but ceded the job back to the former third-round pick soon after, ultimately relocating as the team signed Case Keenum last year.
Over his career, Allen is a 62.6% passer who is 7-12 as a starter. He has thrown 26 touchdown passes, a number that notably tops Kenny Pickett‘s total amassed in 24 career starts, compared to 21 INTs. Unless the Steelers part with Wilson or Fields this year, Allen would seem positioned as a third-stringer. The Steelers also may look to the draft to round out this position, but considering they have expressed interest in having both Wilson and Fields come back for 2025 — a setup that would seem untenable — a rookie arm may not be in the cards next month.
Lowry, 29, made 80 starts for the Packers from 2017-22. The former fourth-round pick was one of the more durable players during much of this stretch, not missing a game from 2017-21. Lowry played opposite Kenny Clark in the Packers’ 3-4 scheme and was brought in to start in Minnesota. But Lowry’s two-year, $8.5MM contract only produced four starts. The Vikings benched the veteran interior D-lineman, who needed an IR stint for a second straight season.
The longtime Green Bay starter needed pectoral surgery while in Minnesota, but Jonathan Bullard had seen more time up front last year. Lowry’s ironman run ended late in the 2022 season, when he sustained a calf injury. During his most recent full season (2021), Lowry totaled five sacks and four pass deflections. He started for three straight Packers teams that secured playoff byes.
The Steelers still have stalwart Cameron Heyward under contract, ahead of what would be a 14th NFL season, and re-signed Larry Ogunjobi last year. A rotational role seems likely for Lowry at this point.
Camp arm/clipboard holder
Putting an awful lot of faith in Wilson and Fields. The AFC North plays the AFC West this year, and Wilson didn’t exactly excel against his division rivals. He also lost to the Jets twice, Indy, and Baltimore, however did win in OT vs Cleveland. Just to round out the schedule.
If I’m not mistaken don’t they play nfc north too?
I’m at a loss here. You mean they would have been better to keep Moe, Larry and Curly as quarterbacks
Really couldn’t care less about what Wilson or Fields for that matter did with their old teams
I’m just pumped over what Khan and company have done so far this off season, and they’re not done yet
Not by a long shot. And getting Patrick queen from your rival team? Steelers aren’t getting the respect for their offseason moves they deserve. They’re building something sturdy man
Yeah, the Queen signing was outstanding. Whether it’s Roberts next to him or a retooled Holcomb or Kwan Alexander, the linebacker corps is solid
But in the town that had Webster, Dermontti Dawson and Pouncey, well, they need a big time center too
Hence the draft!
Lowry is a solid depth add, good replacement for Armon Watts.
Steelers sure are busy this offseason. Makes me wonder if they will be making some trades during the draft.
My prediction is they will take an OT in the first
Trade up to get Frazier the Center from WV in the 2nd
WR in the 3rd
CB in the 3rd or 4th depending what they had to give up in order to move up
That would be perfectly plausible and sensible. If Powers-Johnson was there in the first they may not need to trade up in the 2nd, but I have a feeling he will be gone.
I will continue to beat the drum for drafting Jordan Travis as a developmental QB but after getting Fields it’s less likely.
With Tomlin not Khan at Oregon’s pro day I feel even if JPJ is there they are not taking him
I just feel they would rather get a big time tackle so they can move Broderick to his natural LT position.
Tackle is extremely deep this year so at 20 there should be a day 1 starter.
They move up to get Frazier and Dan Moore could be traded on draft day for a late pick tick to take the place of the pick needed to move up in the 2nd round.
Everyone keeps talkin Center and with the release of Cole I understand why but I see 4 centers that could be day 1 starters so they can get 1 in the 2nd
Rust’ you’re gonna need to give up that #3 bruh. thx, -Kyle
Kyle Allen would make a great GM. His first bet is that the Steelers have a QB room where Kyle Allen can beat out all comers – an aging diva Russell Wilson and incompetent flashy youngster Justin Fields.
He must might be right.
Or perhaps he’s so shrewd he knows that Kyle Allen will draw a salary, put in time at practices all season, play in a few exhibition games and oh, did I say draw a salary.
This is a thing he’s never known before, it’s called easy livin’
Pittsburgh’s a place he’s never been before and Kyle’s been forgiven
Imagine. A Uriah Heep reference on a football message board. LOL.