Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen remains one of the best players in the NFL despite being unable to lead the franchise to its long-awaited first Super Bowl title.
Last Word on Sports editor Mike Kashuba unveiled the results of the writers’ votes for the top players in the league heading into the 2024 season on Tuesday. Allen couldn’t wrestle the No. 1 spot from Kansas City Chiefs counterpart Patrick Mahomes, but he wasn’t far behind. Here’s a look at the top five:
Kashuba praised the Bills quarterback in the rankings announcement. “The offseason discourse around Allen is hilarious,” Kashuba wrote. “He’s singlehandedly responsible for the Bills success, and even as [Stefon] Diggs trailed off at the end of the season Allen stayed strong. So long as he’s Superman in a Buffalo uniform, the Bills have a chance in the AFC.”
It’s a dead-on assessment. Diggs faded significantly during the second half of the 2023 season, lowlighted by a crucial drop late in Buffalo’s playoff loss to Kansas City, and Gabe Davis was also a frequent non-factor during his final season with the Bills. Allen, 28, kept the team’s offense clicking anyway. He turned Khalil Shakir, a relative unknown to casual fans, into a makeshift top target down the stretch and helped rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid make a seamless transition to the NFL.
His final stat line wasn’t perfect. He tossed a career-high 18 interceptions and also lost four fumbles. Turnovers are going to happen when you’re carrying an entire offense on your back, though. Allen’s other numbers were terrific: 66.5 percent completion rate, 4,306 passing yards, 524 rushing yards, and 44 total touchdowns, six more than any other NFL player.
If the league held a complete redraft right now, there’s little doubt the first two picks would be Mahomes and Allen. Quarterback is by far the most important position, and those two are a step ahead of the rest. That’s with all due respect to Jackson, Joe Burrow, and the rest of the NFL’s best signal-callers. Allen faces another tough test this year as the Bills try to remain a top-tier Super Bowl contender after an offseason roster overhaul. His presence alone keeps them in the conversation.
Only one: running back James Cook, who checked in at No. 33. Cook is coming off a breakout 2023 campaign that saw him record 1,567 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns. The 24-year-old Miami native earned his first Pro Bowl selection as a result.
His role could further expand this season. As mentioned, the Bills passing game underwent significant changes, with Diggs and Davis departing. In turn, the offense may lean more heavily on the ground game until Allen gets up to speed with his new wideouts. Cook has all the playmaking skills teams seek in a modern running back. That should ensure his snap share remains high. Having Allen alongside to help take up much of the defensive attention also helps his cause. Put it all together, and he might crack the top 20 on the LWOS list in 2025.
Main Image: Jamie Germano – USA Today Sports
