Josh Allen Has Something to Prove After Latest Preseason QB Rankings

Josh Allen has turned the Buffalo Bills into perennial contenders and even won the 2024 NFL MVP award. What he hasn’t done, however, is get his team to the Super Bowl.

As he enters his ninth season in the league, the pressure to capture the franchise’s first-ever Lombardi Trophy is continuing to mount. That’s why SI.com’s Matt Verderame says Allen has something to prove in 2026.

In his preseason NFL quarterback power rankings, Verderame says that Allen, who recently turned 30, is in danger of being named among the best signal-callers to never win a title.

”Allen turned 30 years old in May, and he’s squarely on the hot seat to avoid becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks to never win a title, joining Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Dan Fouts in that conversation. To get there, Allen now has a new coach, Joe Brady, to help lead the way,” Verderame wrote.

”While Brady was the Bills’ offensive coordinator from 2024 to ’25, Allen won MVP honors while amassing 79 total touchdowns, more than anybody else during that span. However, he failed to throw for 3,800 yards in either season, a number Allen likely needs to eclipse if Buffalo is going to win its first Super Bowl.”

Verderame still ranked Allen as the No. 2 quarterback in the league, behind only Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. He not only cited Mahomes’ performance on the field as a reason for his position, but listed all the big wins he’s led Kansas City to, which includes three Super Bowl wins, five trips to the Super Bowl, and seven trips to the AFC Championship Game.

Ironically enough, NFL coaches, executives, and scouts recently ranked Allen ahead of Mahomes in their poll. That said, Verdermame’s rankings prove that there’s still a lot of support for Mahomes as the superior player and the championship argument is often the deciding factor.

Bills hope 2026 is the year they break through

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws the ball during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas City failed to make the playoffs this past season after Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL. That meant the Bills had their best chance of making it to the Super Bowl during the Josh Allen-Sean McDermott era, but were defeated in the Divisional Round by the Denver Broncos.

Buffalo responded by firing McDermott and promoting Joe Brady. They also brought in wide receiver DJ Moore in an attempt to give Allen a more competent receiving corps.

The Bills are also looking for improvement on defense as they hired Jim Leonhard away from the Broncos. Leonhard was the assistant head coach and pass game coordinator for Denver last season, and is seen as one of the brightest young minds in the coaching world right now. While these changes will help, the pressure to prove that they can be a championship team will continue to fall on the shoulders of Allen.

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