49ers Sign Former Bengals QB Brandon Allen to Contract, per Report

San Francisco’s quarterback room reportedly has a fourth member now.

The 49ers are signing former Bengals quarterback Brandon Allen amid trade rumors surrounding Trey Lance, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Allen is a veteran signal-caller who spent the last three seasons mentoring Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.

San Francisco has a young quarterback room, making Allen’s experience invaluable. But the fact of the matter is it’s getting a little crowded. The team now has Lance, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold and Allen on the roster. The move was made two weeks after it was reported that the 49ers are fielding calls from teams that are interested in trading for Lance. 

The interest in Lance is due to the fact that Purdy emerged as an effective option under center down the stretch last season. Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft, is now reportedly regarded as the team’s starter heading into training camp.

Lance was the team’s starter at the beginning of the 2022 season, but he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 that opened the door for Jimmy Garoppolo to return as starter, but the veteran eventually suffered a season-ending injury of his own in Week 13. Purdy then went 5–0 in the regular season and led the team to a NFC championship game berth. 

In April, while at North Dakota State’s final spring practice, Lance was asked about the trade rumors but all he said was, “I got no comment on that. I have no information.”