Past Participant Josh Allen Declines Chance to Battle NFL Rivals in Golf Tournament

It's American Century Championship week in Lake Tahoe, and Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen is breaking with his recent tradition of contesting the annual celebrity golf tournament this year.

Allen was seen working on his golf swing in a recent video circulating through social media last week, but, as it turns out, the five-time NFL MVP finalist wasn't preparing for the 54-hole event set for July 10-12 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.

Allen, who is an avid golfer that has played rounds alongside the likes of Phil Michelson and Jon Rahm, was part of the American Century Championship field for the fourth year in a row in 2025 when he went up against NFL QB brethren Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Derek Carr (retired), Matt Ryan (retired), Tony Romo (retired), Jim McMahon (retired), Joe Theismann (retired) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (retired).

Unsurprisingly, Allen has become a fan favorite on the course in Lake Tahoe for moments like this one that we wrote about last year. In 2025, he finished 34th overall amongst 90 competitors, ranging from retired tennis pros to Hall-of-Fame pitchers to Fox News anchors.

Patrick Mahomes II, Travis Kelce and Josh Allen talk during the final round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nev., Sunday, July 16, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Former NHL forward Joe Pavelski won the tournament with 73 points last summer while Hall-of-Fame MLB hurler John Smoltz was the runner-up with 64 points. Romo, a three-time event winner, led all NFL-affiliated entries in eighth place overall.

Allen, who first contested the tournament in 2022, posted his best finish in 2024 when he placed 20th overall. This amazing three-point shot helped boost his three-round point total in the "Modified Stableford" scoring system.

It's not officially known why Allen declined the ACC invitation this summer, but it likely has something to do with becoming a new father.

The 30-year-old Allen, who spent a lot of time at One Bills Drive during voluntary Organized Team Activities this past spring, presumably wants to enjoy family time with wife Hailee Steinfeld and newborn daughter Harper Haize prior to training camp practice kicking off at St. John Fisher University on July 29.

Josh Allen learning life as new dad

In an interview with NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero at the beginning of the month, Allen spoke about adjusting to life as the father of an infant.

"I feel great," said Allen. "As a new father, you kind of figure out that sleep is a pretty important thing, and not just for you, but for the baby, for your wife, and for everybody's mental well-being. So, just making sure that we're doing everything in our power possible to get as much sleep as we can."

"But those three, four, five o'clock wake up calls, I'm taking them in stride and just being as happy as possible and enjoying the moments," said Allen.

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