Best QB in camp so far-Kyle Allen

LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – It is only the first four Steelers training camp practices. They weren’t wearing pads, but the quarterback who seized his opportunities with Russell Wilson out, was Kyle Allen.

Allen didn’t have a few of the highlight plays that Justin Fields had, but when it comes to consistent play, success in the red zone in non-padded practices, because I want to make sure we are clear here that it’s football-like, Allen opened eyes.

Even the most skeptical.

“I was really excited about Kyle Allen,” Tomlin said after Friday’s practice. “Getting elevated work as a consequence of Russ’ injury. And, so a really nice opportunity for him. I thought he did some nice things.”

With Fields running the first team, Allen is the back-up and getting reps with some potential contributors this year including Zach Frazier, Troy Fautanu, Quez Watkins, Darnell Washington, Connor Heyward, Calvin Austin to mention a few. Allen hasn’t thrown an interception and really hasn’t been close. Even Russell Wilson shouted him out the other day.

“I feel like I’ve executed well,” Allen said. “I think there are things to clean up and more comfortability in the offense, but I’ve felt confident in how I’ve been playing. I feel like I’ve been playing well.”

This is not to suggest he’s in a quarterback battle of any kind, even to get out of being the third string, but for a team that likes to keep three QBs, if the need arises, Allen is showing he can be handle it. That’s hasn’t always been the case from recent Steelers starters.

The 6’3”, 210 pounder started 19 games in his NFL career, in 2019 starting 12 with the Panthers, winning five games with a 62% completion, 3322 yards, 17 touchdowns, 16 interceptions and an 80 quarterback rating. It’s his seventh year in the league, playing in a number of systems. He feels like he’s a good fit with Arthur Smith.

“I’ve been in the league a long time, watched a ton of tape from week to week,” Allen said. “I’ve seen this offense over my years, so I kind of knew (what it would be like). It’s been great to be able to work in it and get more reps in it.”

“It’s very balanced. I think we are trying to create good balance and we are trying to figure out our identity. In the spring we were trying to figure that out, now I think we have a better idea of who we are and what we want to be. We are really getting our base plays down of who we are.”

He feels he has an advantage with his experience and that none of the four quarterbacks have ever previously played in his offense. Allen said they’ve worked well together including with Russell Wilson saying he’s old and brings a lot of knowledge and is not afraid to speak up.

Whether this is just a quarterback talking up his teammates or actual evaluation, Allen spoke highly of what he said was a Steelers wide receiver room with a variety of types of receivers.

“There are a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things,” Allen said. “Some people’s skillsets shine in different areas. I think they’ve all had a really good camp so far. I think everyone has come and brought their A-game.”

“They know the playbook. There haven’t been a lot of MEs (mental errors), messing up routes. People have been in the right spots and we’ve been making plays. That’s what you want, you want guys to beat each other out because they’ve been playing good, not because someone is playing bad. So it’s been good.”

If it goes to plan for the Steelers, Allen doesn’t get as high as second team reps again this season. He’s getting them now and taking advantage of it.