Bills Legend Roasts Fans Who Doubted Team’s Pick of Josh Allen

After some Buffalo Bills fans took a trip down memory lane to recall the volatile reactions to Josh Allen’s selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, a Bills legend added his voice to the mix.

Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas expressed amusement at the hate Allen received at the time, which included some fans who disavowed their support of the team entirely over his selection. Allen’s pick drew some very polarizing stances, as some draft pundits saw him as a surefire bust while others trusted the Bills to help him grow into his incredible potential.

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Thomas Sounds Off

Some Bills fans this week found their way back to the team’s official announcement when Allen was taken with the No. 7 overall pick in 2018. The Bills had made a series of trades to move up the draft board with Allen in their sights the entire time, meaning his selection came with considerable investment.

At the time, it didn’t go over well with a big contingent of the fan base, who instead wished the Bills had selected the other Josh — Josh Rosen, the UCLA quarterback who many believed was more NFL-ready. Allen’s college stats didn’t stack up well with the other top quarterback prospects, but many draft experts saw his potential and the mitigating factors of his college career, mainly playing in Wyoming.

Some fans disagreed.

“Traded up for Josh Allen??? Not Rosen?? Prediction: ROSEN WILL BE ROOKIE IF THE YEAR. THE BILLS ARE A JOKE!,” one person tweeted.

Others called for Bills general manager Brandon Beane to be fired. Allen’s selection was the first major move from Beane, who took over as general manager after the 2017 NFL Draft. The post on Allen’s selection drew a number of new responses, including fans who shared amusement at the panic over the Bills drafting Allen.

“How do we go about putting this comment section in the Twitter Hall of Fame?” one Bills fan tweeted. “Please freeze everyone from deleting their original takes. This is absolutely amazing.”

Thomas joined those who enjoyed taking a stroll down memory lane, finding it funny that some fans actually thought Rosen would have been the better pick.

“1st time I’m seeing this, and it’s hilarious. I didn’t know all these people wanted Rosen…” he tweeted.

Allen Justifies Buffalo’s Pick

Though Allen struggled during his rookie season with a rebuilding Bills team that was actively shedding bad contracts, it didn’t take him long to prove the pick to be the right one. He led the Bills to the playoffs in 2019 and finished second in the MVP voting in 2020 while leading the Bills to the AFC Championship game.

The comparisons with Rosen are glaring. Rosen has now bounced between three teams, racking up a total of 2,864 yards and 12 career touchdowns. Allen has 14 touchdowns in the playoffs alone.

Beane seems quite content with the decision to take Allen and how it’s worked out for the Bills. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show in March, Beane asked whether there’s any scenario where he would consider trading Allen and said he would have to go first.

“I would trade myself before I traded Josh,” he said.

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