Kyle Allen will make his first start as the Washington Football Team quarterback Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. How many more games he starts depends on how well he plays.
Speaking to reporters Thursday, head coach Ron Rivera said Allen’s status as Washington’s starting quarterback will be evaluated “game-by-game.”
Allen is in his third season in the NFL. He spent the previous two with Rivera as his head coach with the Carolina Panthers. He has 13 starts in his career, including 12 last season with Scott Turner, who is Washington’s offensive coordinator, as his quarterback coach and later offensive coordinator.
The 24-year old has knowledge of Turner’s offense that Dwayne Haskins, who was benched Wednesday, didn’t have. Still, he has limitations. Last season he threw 16 interceptions with 10 touchdowns in his final eight starts.
Rivera called Allen a “game-manager,” who can take shots when needed.
Rivera part of the reason in benching Haskins was to have an opportunity to win the weak NFC East division. He referenced the four-game stretch, Washington faces with three division games after the Rams, including two games against the 0-4 Giants. Allen has the chance to earn the starts in all four games.
The game-by-game evaluation puts an emphasis on Allen to perform well immediately. His appointing isn’t written in stone for the remainder of the season. He will have prove himself to stay on the field or else Alex Smith will get the opportunity to take the field for the first time since his devastating leg injury, he suffered in November of 2018.
