CINCINNATI — CINCINNATI — Brandon Allen will replace Joe Burrow at starting quarterback after Burrow injured his knee in Sunday’s game, ESPN and NFL Network reported Wednesday.
While a Bengals spokesperson said they could not confirm the move, several outlets were reporting Wednesday morning that Allen would start for the Cincinnati Bengals in their next game against the New York Giants.
The #Bengals are planning to start QB Brandon Allen on Sunday vs. the #Giants, according to sources. Allen was on the practice squad until the other day when he replaced Joe Burrow on the roster. Ryan Finley, who came in for Burrow against #WashingtonFootball Team, will back up.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) November 25, 2020
The Bengals called up Allen from the practice squad on Monday. The fourth-year player out of the University of Arkansas was a 2016 sixth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos. He played his only three career games in Denver, completing 39 of 84 passes for 515 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Allen joined the Bengals squad on Aug. 1.
Backup QB Ryan Finley took over for Burrow during Sunday's game, going 3 of 10 for 30 yards and an interception in the final minutes against Washington.
Both Allen and Finley are listed as active on the Bengals roster, with Finley still first on the depth chart -- but there was still no word Thursday about who would start on Sunday.
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Burrow tore his ACL and MCL as well as incurring other "structural issues" during the game against Washington.
Reports from ESPN suggest a lengthy recovery process is ahead for Burrow after an MRI revealed more damage to his knee than anticipated.
The Bengals (2-7-1) host the Giants (3-7) at Paul Brown Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday. They last met at PBS in 2012, when the Bengals routed the Giants 31-13. In their last visit to East Rutherford in 2016, the Bengals fell to the Giants 21-20.
