Skip to main content

Bills QB Josh Allen Receives Hall of Fame Praise: 'Elway or Marino!'

While Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is certainly deserving of his star-studded status, a comparison with two legends like Elway and Marino is likely to spark some understandable debate.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has become one of the faces of the NFL since being the seventh overall pick in 2018.

A can't-miss presence both on and off the field, he's become one of the most unique signal-callers the league has seen in recent memory ... and former NFL quarterback and current analyst Chris Simms is a big fan.

But instead of just calling Allen the best quarterback in the league, he's taking things a step further, offering up some potential controversial praise for the Bills star. 

"We're watching an all-time great," Simms said, via NFL on NBC. "First-ballor Hall of Famer, I hope people realize that. We're watching (John) Elway in his prime or (Dan) Marino."

While Allen is certainly deserving of his star-studded status, a comparison with two legends like Elway and Marino is likely to spark some understandable debate. 

In Allen's defense, his arrival to Buffalo is nearly synonymous with the organization's climb back up to relevancy. The Bills ended their 17-year playoff drought in 2017, the year before Allen joined the team. But though the Bills missed the postseason in Allen’s rookie year, he’s ended up leading Buffalo to four straight playoffs AFC East titles and 10-plus win seasons. 

In the 2022 campaign, he finished the season with the seventh-most passing yards (4,283) and was tied for the second-most passing touchdowns (35). 

Among quarterbacks, Allen finished third in rushing yards (762), fourth in rushing touchdowns (seven) and third in carries (124).

However, Allen also struggled with turnovers. In the regular season, he finished tied for second in interceptions (14) and fumbles (eight), though he only lost two of those cough-ups.

Allen remains one of the league’s best quarterbacks. But he’ll need to reach the championship success of Elway or set records like Marino if he wants to be in that Hall of Fame conversation. 


You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

Thanks for reading our SI-powered coverage of your Buffalo Bills ... Bills Mafia!

You're a member of Bills Mafia hungry for more Buffalo coverage? Read here.