Among its group of pending free agents, the Detroit Lions could see backup quarterback Kyle Allen wound up elsewhere.
An eight-year pro, Allen offered an experienced starting hand to the Lions if anything had happened to Jared Goff last season. Allen brought 19 career NFL starts to Detroit, but, as it turned out, Goff played in and started all 17 games.
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Still, with Allen potentially hitting the market, it puts Detroit into position to start exploring other options under center.
One report puts a potential 2026 NFL draft pick or undrafted free agent on the Lions’ radar. According to Mike Payton of A To Z Sports, the “Lions spent a lot of time talking with Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King after his throwing session” at the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Who is Haynes King?
Dec 27, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) looks to pass against the BYU Cougars in the first quarter during the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Stats: 9,486 passing yards, 65 passing touchdowns, 34 INTs, 2,427 rushing yards, 37 rushing touchdowns
King is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback that began his career at Texas A&M before blossoming into one of the ACC and nation’s top collegiate quarterbacks at Georgia Tech. King led the ACC with 27 passing touchdowns in 2023 and led the league in completion percentage with a 72.9% completion rate in 2024.
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Thanks to a COVID season and a redshirt year, King played parts of six seasons of college football. The Longview, Texas, native played in 46 college games.
Viewed as a potential late-round draft choice or UDFA, King’s athleticism has teams intrigued. King has a 4.45 40-yard dash time and a 36-inch vertical. King was a four-star recruit, the nation’s No. 7 dual-threat quarterback, the 110th-ranked player nationally and the No. 16 player from Texas in the 2020 signing class, per 247Sports. King is 25 years old.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions may have Georgia Tech QB Haynes King on NFL draft radar