For a quarterback who has now become the league MVP and a perennial playoff performer, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen isn't like many stars in the league today.
Perhaps that's what happens when you are the face of a franchise like the Bills.
It goes beyond just being a first-round pick back in 2018. Well beyond even struggling to find ways to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs when it matters most. No, the motivation Allen uses starts from the very beginning of his playing career.
And it's something that Bills general manager Brandon Beane is happy to see continue.
"He had a non-traditional journey," Beane said on The Pat McAfee Show. "Junior college, emailing all these coaches to get a scholarship, gets one offer at Wyoming. We know all the people that were questioning 'could he play quarterback at the NFL?' He gets drafted where he was drafted. He was criticized, we were criticized for doing it. He never wavered, he took the criticism.
"He's always had that chip (on his shoulder.). Doing our research, this young man, he had a chip long before people were giving him reasons to have a chip. He's got a chip now, as excited as he was and honored to win the MVP.
"He knows and we know the ultimate goal is to win a championship. That didn't remove any chip winning the MVP."
For the last five straight seasons Allen has totaled over 40 touchdowns. He has been the driving force for Buffalo's overall offense despite not being able to get over the hump.
As the team and quarterback go back to the drawing board to try and figure out exactly what to do in that regard, it's clear that competitive fire to prove people wrong will stay with Allen moving forward.
Related: Why's Josh Allen Partying With Tiger Woods?
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This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM.
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