The Buffalo Bills quarterback captured his first NFL MVP award in 2024 after leading his team to a 13-4 record. Allen tossed 28 touchdowns to only six interceptions and threw for for 3,731 yards. The MVP didn’t stop there, continuing to be a threat with his legs, rushing for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Allen said he doesn’t play much into the award, saying he’s chasing a Super Bowl.
‘You know, it is such a great honor, and I do appreciate being honored for my work,’ Allen said. ‘But at the same time, I still didn’t win a Super Bowl. Didn’t win a ring, and that is the only goal. It’s the only focus that I’ve ever had going into this league.’
Despite his apparent dismissal of the award, Allen did find a positive for his team going forward.
‘The one positive, I will say, about winning an MVP means that your team is in a good position,’ Allen said. ‘You’re making the playoffs, you’re playing well and you’re doing whatever you can to help your team win football games. But at the end of the day, you got to make the playoffs and then you got to win three, maybe four games. And that’s what we need to do. And we’re going to continue to work as hard as we can and myself included. What can we do to find a way over that hump? So that’s the only goal going forward.’
The Bills have lived a charmed life in the AFC East, winning it in five consecutive seasons. However, Allen’s goal to get over the hump could be complicated by the emergence of a young quarterback in the division – Drake Maye.
Allen spoke highly of the New England Patriots quarterback, saying his former teammate, Stefon Diggs, will bring a lot of security for the second-year signal caller.
‘I think Drake is super talented, he’s one of my favorite young quarterbacks in the league,’ Allen said. ‘I’ve spent some time around him and he’s got his head on his shoulders the right way. He just does things the right way. I think that he exemplifies football. He’ll take it and run, he’ll throw it and to have someone like Stefon is going to help him out a lot.’
Buffalo has remained on the cusp of doing something special in recent years, but face new challenges as young quarterbacks begin to make an impact in a competitive AFC landscape.
Now it’s on Allen to help finish the job when it matters most.