Brandon Allen found out he was starting vs. Browns in comical way
By Kristen Wong
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is known for his passing abilities, leadership, and…a sense of humor.
Burrow will sit out Week 18’s game against the Cleveland Browns, but that didn’t stop him from having a little fun in the Bengals’ quarterback room.
Apparently, Burrow told backup Brandon Allen that he would be starting in Week 18 before Zac Taylor did.
A casual call would have sufficed. Burrow could have simply told Allen, “Hey, just letting you know you’ll be the starter against Cleveland. Congrats.”
But Burrow being Burrow had to put his signature spin on it:
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow gets a kick out of telling Brandon Allen he’s the starting QB
Taylor made the decision to rest Burrow in the Bengals’ season finale despite Burrow saying he’s healthy enough to play.
Brandon Allen will take the field instead in his first career start in 2021.
Allen owns a 2-6 career starter record, playing for the Denver Broncos in three games before signing with Cincinnati in 2020.
Last year, Allen started five games after Burrow suffered his season-ending injury. He went 90-of-142 for 925 yards recording five touchdowns against four interceptions.
In 2021, Allen will play behind a considerably improved offensive line, and he’ll likely still have a talented receiver room provided Taylor doesn’t bench those starters, too.
And Joe Burrow has Allen’s back, too. The star quarterback has shown nothing but love and a little bit of light-hearted playfulness to his backup, and Burrow will be cheering for Allen on the sidelines all game.
Here’s hoping Allen can rally the team to a victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 18.