Bills' Joe Brady 'Not There Yet' on Changing Major Part of Josh Allen's Game

It's safe to expect some changes for the Buffalo Bills under new head coach Joe Brady. But one particular thing that won't change is in Josh Allen's playing style.

Brady talked about his MVP QB in a recent piece with Tim Graham of The Athletic. And although he expressed a desire for Allen to slide more often, he noted how he does not want to hinder the Wyoming product from running.

“There’s going to come a time in his career where his legs aren’t going to be able to do what he can do, and he’s going to have to become a true pocket passer,” Brady said. “We’re not there yet, all right?"

“There’s going to come a time in his career where his legs aren’t going to be able to do what he can do, and he’s going to have to become a true pocket passer.

“We’re not there yet, all right?"

✍️https://t.co/UUJoRjM5nL pic.twitter.com/4TD6oF5ASE
— Tim Graham (@ByTimGraham) April 1, 2026

Dual-threat Allen

There's no denying how dangerous Allen's legs are. The NFL's all-time leader in rushing touchdowns for a quarterback, his 4,721 rushing yards since 2018 rank second only to Lamar Jackson.

But he's also tallied 871 carries in that span. Since 2019, Allen has not carried the ball fewer than 102 times in a season. And while he is mindful of how he calls plays around Allen's skill set, Brady said he does not focus on preserving the veteran QB with his play calls.

"We know, in the past, Josh is going to scramble," said Brady. "You’ve got to count those scrambles, knowing that those are going to be some of the runs.”

Joe Brady and Josh Allen — Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (right) and head coach Joe Brady. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Making plays vs. playing it safe

Allen has noted how being mindful of his running — and not taking big hits — is important in the past. He talked about it early on in his MVP campaign in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Josh Wilson.

But even he understands that not running at all is not conducive to success for the Bills.

"(Me being able to run) allows us to not take sacks, to extend plays, and utilize the scramble drill.," said Allen during this September 2024 story. "But at the same time, understand that, you know, it just takes one, it takes one bad hit, it takes one bad whatever to hurt your chances of winning a football game,"

Allen will eventually have his legs diminish, limiting him to playing more from the pocket. Thankfully for Brady and Buffalo, that day is not today.

Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen (17). | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images