In the 2024 season, Allen led the Bills to an impressive 13-4 record, reaching the AFC Championship, where they fell short against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. But although Allen couldn’t quite achieve Superbowl glory, his performances that led to his MVP award speak for themselves.
Allen registered an outstanding 3731 passing yards for 40 touchdowns, demonstrating both passing and rushing masterclasses consistently across the campaign. His 6-foot 5 stature allows him to dominate opposing players, using his strengths to see off some of the best defensive teams in the league, most notably the Chiefs in week 11, and the Lions in week 15.
But it wasn’t just his stats that made him stand out from the rest and collect the MVP award. Allen delivered multiple generational performances throughout the season, also becoming the first quarterback in history to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game during a 35–10 win against the 49ers in week 13.
Now aged 28, Allen becomes the first Bills player to win MVP since Thurman Thomas back in 1991, and it’s fair to say Josh has already cemented himself as a legend in Buffalo.
Though this is his first MVP win, Allen has come close to glory in the past, finishing second in voting back in 2020, where he lost out to Aaron Rodgers, as well as placing top 5 in both 2021 and 2022.
Voting for the award this year was a two-horse race between Allen and last year’s MVP, Lamar Jackson, with the pair both being over 200 votes clear of third-placed Saquon Barkley. Allen just edged it in the end, winning 27 more votes than Jackson, the Ravens quarterback and two-time MVP winner.
In light of the voting, it is no surprise that many were disappointed that Jackson was not awarded MVP back-to-back after his equally impressive campaign. Lamar registered a 119-passer rating for the season compared to Allen’s 101, with the former being the fourth highest in NFL history.
However, the divisional round of the playoffs may well have been what decided the recipient of MVP, where Allen overcame Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in a narrow 27-25 victory. Here, the eventual MVP showcased why he holds that title, registering two pivotal rushing touchdowns to help secure a Bills victory.
Now holding that MVP title that his exceptional career deserves, there’s only one thing that Allen will have his sights on next: Superbowl glory. With him seemingly only getting better and the Bills becoming stronger in other areas of the squad, such as James Cook continuously delivering at running back, there’s no reason why Allen can’t go one step further and lift the Vince Lombardi trophy next year.