Joe Burrow will officially have a new backup in 2023

The Cincinnati Bengals clearly respected Brandon Allen, as he was Joe Burrow's backup during his entire time with the franchise. All good things come to an end, however, as Allen is signing with the San Francisco 49ers, according to Tom Pelissero. Also, the Bengals brought Trevor Siemian in to be Burrow's new signal-caller.

Allen was a sixth-round pick by the Jaguars in 2016 out of Arkansas but didn't see the field until the 2019 season when he was with the Broncos. He joined the Bengals in 2020 and started five games after Burrow was injured, going 1-4 in those starts. He threw five touchdowns to four interceptions.

In 2021, Allen started just one game and fans weren't convinced that he could be the guy if Burrow had to miss time. It became evident that the Bengals weren't interested in keeping him this offseason when they didn't jump to re-sign him and also brought Trevor Siemian in for a visit.

Brandon Allen is leaving the Bengals, Trevor Siemian is joining the team

The 49ers give Allen a chance to compete for a starting job potentially. Brock Purdy is recovering from injury, Trey Lance is on the trade block, and Sam Darnold is the other option. Allen probably doesn't win the starting job there but his role has definitely been as a backup during his time in the league so it's something he's familiar and comfortable with.

As for the Bengals and Siemian, he'll be the likely backup to Burrow now. He spent last season with the Bears and played for the Saints the year before that. He's not the guy you want starting more than a handful of games but he's capable of stepping in and playing well in a few games if need be.