Giants Bolster QB Room with Brandon Allen—What It Means for the Draft

The 33-year-old journeyman reunites with Brian Callahan to provide veteran stability behind Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston.

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Brandon Allen (10) drops back to pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The New York Giants have signed veteran quarterback Brandon Allen, who was most recently with the Tennessee Titans as their backup to starter Cam Ward.

Allen was initially a sixth-round draft pick out of Arkansas by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016 after partaking in 42 games and completing 583-of-1016 passes for 1,016 yards for 64 touchdowns to just 26 interceptions in four seasons for the Razorbacks.

He then became a journeyman, making stops with the Los Angeles Rams for two years, the Denver Broncos in 2019, the Cincinnati Bengals from 2020 to 2022, the San Francisco 49ers from 2023 to 2024, and the Titans last year.

Allen reunites with a key figure in his career

Brian Callahan worked with Brandon Allen in Cincinnati and Tennessee. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While with the Titans, Allen was a backup quarterback for Brian Callahan, the head coach at the time, who was fired after a 1-6 start to the season.

Callahan, who also crossed paths with Allen when the two were in Cincinnati, was hired by Giants head coach John Harbaugh to be Big Blue’s quarterbacks coach earlier this year.

Allen, 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds, has appeared in just 19 games over six seasons, with 10 starts and a 2-8 record as a starter. He has completed 183 of 323 pass attempts for 1,882 yards and 11 touchdowns to only nine interceptions.

The 33-year-old Allen also has 36 career rushing attempts for 68 yards. His most productive season came in 2020 as a member of the Bengals, where he started all five games in which he appeared, and completed 90-of-142 pass attempts (63.4%) for 925 yards and five touchdowns to four interceptions.  

His best game came in 2020 when he threw for 371 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-31 win over the Houston Texans.

Allen, who is widely regarded league-wide for his football IQ and his knowledge of how Callahan structures offenses, becomes the third quarterback on the roster, behind starter Jaxson Dart and backup Jameis Winston.

Allen’s arrival, believed to be on a one-year veteran minimum deal, should not necessarily exclude the Giants from adding a developmental prospect who might sit on their practice squad once the 53-man roster is all sorted out.

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