Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen endured a difficult end to the 2025 season, falling flat in a playoff loss to the Denver Broncos and playing through a broken bone in his foot.
While Allen also endured an up-and-down offseason as he underwent surgery on his foot, welcomed a new head coach in Buffalo, and then welcomed his first child, he could have a much smoother season coming ahead. ESPN’s Seth Walder put the Bills quarterback at the top of the list for MVP candidates, giving Allen what could be a second trophy of his career.
Josh Allen on Track for Another MVP Season
In an early list of the top 10 MVP candidates for the coming season, Walder listed Allen at the top.
“He’s the best quarterback in the NFL, and if the Bills are the No. 1 seed in the AFC — which is well within the cards — it will be because Allen delivered an MVP-worthy performance,” Walder wrote.
Allen was listed just above a pair of two-time winners, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Division rival Drake Maye was listed as the fourth candidate.
After winning his first league MVP award in 2024, Allen had some struggles through the 2025 season, especially the heartbreaking finish in Denver. The Bills quarterback had four turnovers in the team’s divisional-round loss to the Broncos, including a controversial interception in overtime that gave the Broncos the ball for what would be the game-winning drive.
Allen is first focusing on the coming season, which will be the first of his career without Sean McDermott as his head coach. The Bills fired McDermott after the season ended, elevating offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the top post.
Allen had worked closely with Brady as the team’s quarterbacks coach, and advocated for Brady to take the offensive coordinator job after the team fired Ken Dorsey mid-season in 2023.
The Bills quarterback will have the benefit of full health, having recovered from the foot surgery and returned for optional practices in April and May.
Josh Allen Could Have More History in His Sights
Allen could have another long-term record in his sights. Reporter Chris Trapasso of SB Nation noted that Allen currently has the most touchdowns per game in NFL history, averaging 2.35 total scores. That would put him on pace to surpass Tom Brady for the most total touchdowns overall, but it would require the Bills quarterback to remain healthy and productive for more than a decade longer.
“Right now, Allen averages 39 touchdowns (29 passing + 10 rushing) across a 17-game schedule,” Trapasso wrote. “He may be afforded the benefit of an extra regular season game if the NFL owners and NFLPA agree to an 18-game season in the not-too-distant future. And that would change some of the averages Allen would need to break the record, of course.
“But right now, factoring in some regression into his late 30s, it seems most reasonable to assume Allen would have to play until his Age 40 or Age 41 season — 2036 or 2037 — to finish his NFL career as the game’s total touchdown leader.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Gets Good Career News as NFL Season Nears