Bengals signing backup QB Trevor Siemian after losing Brandon Allen
The Cincinnati Bengals exited the 2023 NFL Draft with a handful of minor needs, including backup quarterback. That need was only expedited when news of Brandon Allen signing with the San Francisco 49ers appeared on the wire. A replacement for Allen has been found by the Bengals, as Trevor Siemian has reportedly agreed to terms […]
The Cincinnati Bengals exited the 2023 NFL Draft with a handful of minor needs, including backup quarterback. That need was only expedited when news of Brandon Allen signing with the San Francisco 49ers appeared on the wire.
A replacement for Allen has been found by the Bengals, as Trevor Siemian has reportedly agreed to terms with the team. Per NFL Media's James Palmer, Siemian is signing on for one year in Cincinnati.
Palmer also reported a month ago that Siemian was in town for a visit, so this has the makings of a deal that was in place before the draft, and after no quarterbacks were added to the roster, the deal was finalized and agreed upon.
Siemian, a former seventh-round pick from the 2015 draft, started his NFL career with the Denver Broncos. His first-ever quarterbacks coach in the league was none other than Brian Callahan, the Bengals' offensive coordinator of the last four years.
While Siemian virtually never played while Callahan was in Denver, he did make his first NFL starts in 2016. His third-ever start was against the Bengals in Week 3 of that season, and Siemian torched them in a 29-17 victory on the road. The Northwestern product threw for four touchdowns against a bewildered Bengals secondary.
Siemian went on to start 14 games that season and win eight of them, but his NFL career as a starter would soon fade away. He made 11 starts for Denver in 2017, and has been a backup for three different teams ever since. He was most recently with the Chicago Bears in 2022, backing up Justin Fields.
Now at 31 years of age, Siemian still has something left to offer as a veteran tablet holder for a star quarterback, and has shown to be adequate when handed an emergency opportunity to play. That's all the Bengals will expect out of him for the 2023 season.
