The days of Cam Newton leading the Panthers out of the tunnel every Sunday is coming to an end. It’s looking more and more likely that the Panthers don’t bring him back next year. That means Carolina will need a replacement… but what if they already have their next guy? Is Kyle Allen the long term answer for the Carolina Panthers? As silly as that may sound, do not count him out, yet.
What if Kyle Allen is just a late bloomer? Hey, it’s possible. I hit puberty in 11th grade. Now I’m a monster. What if Kyle Allen just figured out this quarterback thing late? Kyle Allen was the number one high school quarterback recruit in 2014. NUMBER ONE.
That’s right. Kyle Allen was rated higher than Deshaun Watson. Allen was named the starting quarterback of Texas A&M in 2015 when Kenny Hill left town. His backup? Kyler Murray. Allen eventually transferred to Houston and things didn’t really go too well his final season. He also declared for the NFL Draft before he had to. Maybe he just wasn’t made for college? I sure as hell wasn’t. I had a swamp of Dominos pizza boxes around my bed in college. I wasn’t ready for life either.
All I know is that Allen continues to make noise when he plays that quarterback thing. Allen made one start for Carolina in 2018. In a Week 17 game against the Falcons, Allen went 16-27, 228 yards, 2 passing touchdowns, and one rushing touchdowns. Carolina won the game. Not a bad first start.
This offseason, the Panthers drafted Will Grier in the 3rd round. Allen stuck Grier in his back pocket and won the backup job. Once Cam Newton got benched because he stinks but they will say *cough he’s hurt, Allen put on a show again. Yes, it’s the Cardinals but Allen threw for 4 touchdowns completing 73 percent of his throws. Allen might be a stud.
Look, we’re going to find out just how good Kyle Allen is. Here’s what I do know. Allen is 2-0 in his 2 starts in the NFL. Cam Newton has lost his last 8 starts. Cam Newton has not thrown a touchdown pass in his last 4 starts. Allen has 6 passing touchdowns in 2 games. If Allen keeps playing like this, Cam isn’t getting his job back if he’s healthy or not.
It’s a story line that’s flying under the radar. What if Kyle Allen is a late bloomer? What if Kyle Allen figured out this quarterback thing while everyone just gave up on him? Don’t sleep on Kyle Allen. He might just be the quarterback of the future in Carolina. The hype MIGHT be real.
