Washington tenders QB Kyle Allen for 2021 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Washington Football Team has issued an exclusive rights tender for quarterback Kyle Allen, the team announced on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old passer entered the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent, meaning that Washington had an opportunity to keep him from entering the market by using the tender. A somewhat expected move, the team did just that and now Allen will be back in the Burgundy and Gold for 2021.
The fourth-year pro came to Washington prior to the 2020 season in a trade that sent a 2020 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers. The acquisition gave Ron Rivera a familiar face in the quarterback mix for his first season at the helm in Washington.
Allen assumed the starting role for Washington in Week 5, replacing Dwayne Haskins. He exited his first game against the Los Angeles Rams early after suffering an injury that forced Alex Smith into the contest.
He’d return for the next week, starting three consecutive contests for Washington that included a 25-3 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 7. Though there were mistakes at times, Allen also showed a capability to command the offense and use his mobility to create plays.
Come Week 9 against the New York Giants, Allen suffered a season-ending ankle injury. In total, he threw for 610 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in 2020.
Rehab has gone well, as the quarterback was recently seen throwing and training just a few months removed from the injury.
Now, Washington has Allen and Heinicke locked in to the quarterback room to begin the 2021 season. Both are young and have upside that could be beneficial to the team’s plans for the future. With free agency just getting underway, attention turns to what third name will be joining them for OTAs and training camp.