Brandon Allen was a three-year starter at Arkansas and led the Razorbacks to bowl victories in his redshirt junior and senior seasons. Former Wisconsin Badgers head coach Bret Bielema coached Allen in the quarterback's final three years at Arkansas.

Allen became a 49er on May 8, 2023, signing as a free agent. The 49ers, who up to that point seldom kept a third quarterback on the 53-man roster, kept Allen as a No. 3 all season behind Purdy and Sam Darnold after the previous year’s injuries to Trey Lance, Jimmy Garoppolo, and finally Purdy in the NFC Championship Game. Allen did not take a snap.

Injuries will leave quarterback Brock Purdy on the sideline with veteran signal caller Brandon Allen slated to start in his stead. While Allen’s start will make an already tough game more difficult for the 49ers, it could facilitate some offensive innovation from a group that was starting to get stagnant on that side of the ball.