When we think about the best quarterbacks of today, Josh Allen is one of the names that often come up. The Buffalo Bills star is the reigning MVP for a reason. With a rocket arm, surprising speed for his size, and a physicality rarely seen in quarterbacks, Allen is consistently in top three quarterback conversations. One could even make a good argument that he's the best at his position.
Had you told a Bills fan back in 2018 that Allen would turn out to be this good, though, and he'd look at you crazy. It's easy to forget now, but before Allen was this dominant force for the Bills, he was a project that seemingly had little chance of panning out. While he has a long way to go before being considered the GOAT of the NFL, analyst Bucky Brooks crowns Allen as the GOAT at one particular achievement.
“I think he's the most improved quarterback prospect that we've ever seen,” Brooks said on a feature article about Allen on FOX Sports.
The seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Allen came into the league as one of the rawest quarterback prospects in recent memory. The Bills were mesmerized by the Wyoming product's his measurables, his cannon arm, and his athleticism. However, Allen had a host of issues that needed to be fixed. His throwing motion and bad mechanics led to horrible inaccuracy that could have severely limited his ceiling in the league.
Allen's first season seemingly showed that he wasn't cut out to be an NFL quarterback. Taking over as the starter midway through the season, the Bills quarterback completed just 52.8% of his passes, threw 10 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and had 2,074 yards through just 12 games. Allen had the running game down pat (631 yards and eight touchdowns), but his passing prowess was in serious question.
Since then, though, Allen has only gotten better. The following season, the Bills quarterback upped his completion rate (58.8%) and threw less interceptions (nine) despite playing the entire season. He would continue to get better, his completion rate never dipping past 63% and his turnover issues lessening over time. It all culminated in his first MVP award last season, beating out Lamar Jackson.
This season, Allen continues to be a force of nature for the Bills. His completion rate this season is at a career-high 70.1%, throwing 22 touchdowns to 10 interceptions through 13 games played and notching 3,083 yards. On the ground, Allen has 487 yards and 12 touchdowns.
