Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is among the most scrutinized players in the NFL. In fact, a recent players’ survey named him the most overrated quarterback in the sport.
That said, Allen and the Bills are out to a 2-0 start this season, and the star signal-caller is unfazed by the label.
[Related: 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Who will Bills pick?]
On Friday’s edition of “The Facility,” Allen expressed that he “loved” being considered overrated by his peers.
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“I’m a logical guy, and I understand what the NFL is. There’s 32 teams. There’s 31 other fan bases and players that I hope despise me and just absolutely are sick of me because that means I’m doing the right things on the field for the Buffalo Bills,” Allen said. “I think that it’s a term of endearment and respect when guys don’t like me or don’t think I’m that great because I can you tell one thing: the guys that are in this building don’t think that way.”
In Buffalo’s first two games, Allen has totaled 371 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 124.2 passer rating, while completing 73.8% of his passes. He has also rushed for 41 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bills beat the Arizona Cardinals at home in Week 1, 34-28, and followed that with a dominant, 31-10 win on the road against the AFC East-rival Miami Dolphins.
As for other talented quarterbacks, No. 1 pick and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is off to a sluggish start with the Chicago Bears, as he totaled just 93 passing yards in Week 1, threw two interceptions in Week 2 and has completed just 56.1% of his passes.
But Allen provided some advice for Williams.
“He’s played in a lot of big-time games, whether it was at Oklahoma or USC. I think he understands the game. Obviously, the first couple games of your NFL career, if they don’t go your way, it doesn’t mean it’s going to define your career. I think he’s going to just keep working hard and playing football the way he knows how to play the game,” Allen said. “It’s got him to this point thus far. Just keep playing football. That’s the only advice I have. I think he’s a very talented player. He’s going to be a really, really, really great player, I think, just watching him on tape.”
Allen can relate to Williams, as the former threw a combined 21 interceptions, posted a mere 78.2 passer rating and completed just 56.3% of his passes across his first 28 NFL regular-season appearances from 2018-19. The ensuing season (2020), Allen threw for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns, and increased his completion percentage to 69.2% while leading Buffalo to the AFC Championship Game for the first time in 27 years.
Allen has been a Pro Bowler in two of the past four complete seasons, while also rushing for 601.8 yards and 8.8 touchdowns per season from 2018-23.
Of course, the Bills have been unable to break through in the playoffs, having been sent home by the Kansas City Chiefs in three of the past four postseasons, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2022 playoffs and reaching the AFC Championship Game just once.
Allen has one material goal for the Bills.
“I could give two you-know-whats about winning the MVP. The only thing I care about is raising the Lombardi Trophy here in Western New York,” Allen said. “Obviously, we haven’t done it yet. We’ve gotten close, but we got to find a way to get that over the hump. Again, the other stuff kind of comes with that territory. If we’re playing good football, and we’re winning, those things will happen. If not, they won’t.”
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