Getty Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers share an embrace after a 2022 game.
Josh Allen may be friends with Aaron Rodgers off the field, but the relationship is serious when it comes to the golf course.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback addressed his controversial loss to Rodgers at this year’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where the New York Jets quarterback won despite questions about his handicap. Allen’s partner had already called out Rodgers for the victory at the time of the tournament, and Allen joined in this week by accusing the rival quarterback of cheating.
Josh Allen: ‘I Love Aaron, But He Did [Cheat]’
Allen was asked about Rodgers’ victory during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast. After being asked if Rodgers “sandbagged” other golfers by playing with a handicap of 10 instead of his normal handicap of 3, Allen agreed with the assessment.
“He did,” Allen said when asked if he believed Rodgers cheated. “I love Aaron, but he did.”
“He may have gotten seven or eight strokes too many at Pebble Beach, or nine,” Allen said with a laugh. “That’s from what other sources are saying, I’m not saying that.”
Josh Allen joined @KyleBrandt/@KBBasement to talk Aaron Rodgers.
“It’s still surreal to me that he’s taken a liking to me like that and – I wouldn’t say taken me under his wing – but to text me. And he’s awesome. I really enjoy spending time with him.” #Jets #Bills
While Allen was more lighthearted with his accusation, his golf partner Keith Mitchell was more forceful when calling out Rodgers immediately after the event.
“I think Josh [Allen] and I won,” Mitchell said, via Golf Digest’s Christopher Powers. “Aaron Rodgers doesn’t count. His handicap was crap.”
Rodgers acknowledged the accusations at the time, but said he believed the win was legitimate.
“Josh Allen was telling me there’s going to be an asterisk by this win because there was only three rounds,” Rodgers said. “But I think our names are going to be up [on the Wall of Champions] for a long time.”
The controversy didn’t seem to affect the relationship between the quarterbacks. The two crossed paths at the Kentucky Derby and afterward Allen had some praise for Rodgers.
“Got to talk with him for a little bit, like he’s one of my favorite quarterbacks of all time,” Allen said in a May 10 appearance on Kyle Brandt’s Basement. “I think he’s the most gifted thrower of all time, his body mechanics like I try to emulate what he does. And I’ve been such a big fan of him for so long and to kind of have the relationship that we have like, it’s still surreal to me that he’s taken a liking into me like that.”
Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers Now Rivals
Allen and Rodgers will have a lot more opportunities to face each other now that the former Green Bay Packers quarterback has joined the AFC East. Though the Jets have become a popular pick to win the division after the addition of Rodgers, Allen told Brandt that he believes not much will be different in terms of competitiveness.
“He’s definitely a bad man. But at the end of the day, it’s still football,” Allen said. “The goal doesn’t change — it doesn’t matter who’s back there throwing passes for the opposing team. We’re trying to go out there and score more points than them.”
The Jets were competitive against Buffalo last season, handing the Bills one of their three regular-season losses with a 20-17 victory in Week 9. The Bills won the Week 14 rematch 20-12.