Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen Responds To Tom Brady's Advice On Sliding: 'He's Right, But...'
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a big guy, standing at 6-5 and 237 pounds, and he plays up to his large frame.
With his combination of size and speed, Allen isn't afraid to run over would-be tacklers. That play style has proved very effective, as Allen is firmly among the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the game today. However, it has also led to a few injuries throughout his career, leading to concerns about Allen's long-term future.
Even legendary quarterback Tom Brady expressed some of those concerns on his Let's Go podcast, while having Allen on as a guest, no less.
"I would love to see Josh save those for very special moments and special occasions to run the ball rather than to run the ball six minutes into the game on a second-and-6," Brady said, per Bleacher Report. "Not that he shouldn't run, but when he does run, f--king slide and make sure no one hits you because I don't ever want to see him get hurt and I want to see him out there playing out there because he's such a f--king stud."
Allen and Brady come together after a game.
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In his response to those comments, Allen said that he understands Brady's perspective, but isn't keen on changing the way he plays.
"He is right, I'm not saying that he's wrong, but you can get hurt in the pocket just as much as you can outside the pocket," Allen said. "That's the only caveat that I have for that. ... You gotta go win a football game and sometimes that calls upon me doing something like putting my body on the line for my teammates because of how much I do love my teammates and how much I see them working their tails off too. ... That's where the flip for me is so hard to turn off because I just care so much about winning football games and sometimes it does cause the risk to be a little bit higher than maybe even the reward."
Allen has dealt with some minor injuries throughout his career, but the only time he missed extended time was when he suffered a UCL injury in his rookie season. Still, that hasn't stopped Brady and others from expressing their concerns.
It is worth noting, though, that Allen has been more careful with his runs this season. After a Week 3 win over the Washington Commanders, Bills coach Sean McDermott praised Allen for showing "maturity" by being willing to slide and run out of bounds.
“My eye lit up, too,” McDermott told reporters. “I was very proud of him for doing that. He’s growing. You have to play a certain way without losing your identity.”
It doesn't seem like those concerns will subside any time soon, nor will Allen's aggressive running style, but he is at least taking small steps to protect himself.
