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It didn’t take former Washington quarterback Kyle Allen long to land with a new team. A restricted free agent, the Commanders chose not to tender Allen last week, and he was free to sign elsewhere Wednesday when the new NFL league year began.
On Wednesday, Allen signed with the Houston Texans on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, which includes $2.25 million guaranteed, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
It’s a return home of sorts of Allen, who spent the final two seasons of his college career at the University of Houston. He heads to the Texans as the primary backup to second-year quarterback Davis Mills. The Texans, of course, are expected to trade Deshaun Watson, and Mills showed promise as a rookie in 2021.
Houston’s veteran backup/occasional starter last season, Tyrod Taylor, signed with the New York Giants.
Washington traded a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers for Allen in March 2020. Head coach Ron Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner coached Allen in Carolina and liked him. He was expected to backup Dwayne Haskins, but it didn’t take long for Allen to unseat Haskins.
Unfortunately for Allen, after four starts, he dislocated his ankle and was lost for the season. He had been playing well, and his absence opened the door for Alex Smith’s long-awaited return.
In 2021, Allen was the clear No. 3 quarterback behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinicke. Once Fitzpatrick was lost for the season in Week 1, Allen would become Heinicke’s primary backup. He would only appear in two games in 2021, completing 12 of 19 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown.
Former Commanders QB Kyle Allen is signing a one-year, $2.5M deal with the Texans that includes $2.25M fully guaranteed, per source.
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) March 16, 2022