By Blessing 
On the very day the Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed back quarterback Mason Rudolph, they’re saying goodbye to another signal-caller. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, quarterback Kyle Allen is heading to the Detroit Lions after spending the 2024 season in Pittsburgh. The details of Allen’s new deal have yet to be revealed.
Allen originally joined the Steelers last season as a depth option, brought in to serve as the team’s third-string quarterback. But injuries gave him a short-lived promotion. When Russell Wilson missed time early in the year with a calf injury, Allen stepped into the backup role behind Justin Fields for the first six games.
He saw limited game action, taking the field briefly in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys after Fields was evaluated for a concussion. In that short appearance, Allen made the most of it—completing his only pass, a 19-yard connection to tight end Pat Freiermuth.
When Wilson returned in Week 7, Allen slid back down to the third spot on the depth chart. He dressed in a non-emergency role later in the year when Fields dealt with an abdominal issue, but didn’t take another snap the rest of the season.
Allen’s performance during training camp gave fans and coaches a glimpse of what he could offer. He came out of the gate strong, showing command and poise.
“On the positive side, Kyle Allen was generally accurate and had the calm approach of a veteran. He got the ball out on time, did well to beat the blitz, and got the offense aligned without many miscues or a comedy of errors,” we wrote during our training camp recap. “Through four practices, he completed more than two-thirds of his passes, threw four touchdowns to zero interceptions, and bested Fields in YPA and YPC. Like Fields, Allen benefitted from extra reps due to Wilson’s injury, averaging 12 per day throughout the first 10 practices. He’s even a little athletic, able to roll out and keep the play going. Allen even juked LB Luquay Washington in a 1-on-1 drill, though I’m sure Washington was careful not to get too physical.”
However, as camp wore on, Allen’s consistency wavered. Turnovers began to creep into his game, especially in red zone situations.
“Over the course of camp, his interceptions ramped up and he struggled in short-yardage areas. Too many end zone interceptions. Two of his six picks came in Seven Shots while a third came during the team’s annual goal-line period. All three were either forced throws or moments where Allen got tunnel vision and never saw the defender, like S Nate Meadors jumping a route and picking him midway through camp. Allen had iffy success in two-minute opportunities, once benefitting from a phantom Mike Tomlin-called penalty to keep a drive alive that eventually resulted in a score.”
Overall, Allen earned a ‘C’ grade for his summer showing—solid in flashes, but not quite enough to solidify a higher role.
Now 29 years old, Allen is set to join a crowded quarterback room in Detroit. He’ll back up starter Jared Goff and likely compete with Hendon Hooker for the No. 2 job.
The Lions will be Allen’s sixth NFL stop since entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He’s previously suited up for the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, and most recently, the Steelers.
Across his career, Allen has played in 31 games with 19 starts, completing 62.7 percent of his passes for over 4,700 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions.
Another chapter begins for Kyle Allen—this time in Detroit.