Josh Allen

Josh Allen, born into a privileged family in Firebaugh, California on a 3000-acre cotton farm, is presently the starting quarterback for the National Football League (NFL) team Buffalo Bills. He had a rough start in his career with fewer prospects than many of his contemporaries but that did not prevent him from working hard and becoming the highest-drafted player from his University. He was picked by the Buffalo Bills as the 7th overall pick in the 1st round of the 2018 NFL draft. He set several franchise records for his passes and was instrumental in making the Bills’ first Playoff appearance since 2000 possible.

Josh Allen's Early Life and Background

Josh Allen was born on a farm near Firebaugh, California, a small town about 40 miles (64 km) west of Fresno, California, to parents Joel and Lavonne Allen. His family had been settled on the 3000-acre farm since the arrival of his great-grandfather, from Sweden, in America. Having attended a local school at Firebaugh, his prospects in the sport were limited at the beginning of his life. However, with much patience and perseverance, Allen managed to stand out during his junior college years at Reedley College but also joined the University of Wyoming where he enrolled with a scholarship before the start of the 2015 season.

The hurdles in his career came as early as his time at Wyoming when after playing two games, one of which he started, he suffered an injury in his collarbone which cut his season short. He recovered and made a comeback from his injury in 2016 as Wyoming’s starter. Despite his noteworthy performance in the season when he threw for 3,200 yards and achieved 28 touchdowns he decided to wait another year before turning pro. It was a difficult but wise decision on his part as he went on to throw for 1,812 yards, and managed 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2017. He also led the Cowboys to a 37–14 win over Central Michigan in the 2017 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. It was his patience that paid off in the 2018 NFL draft in which he was picked in the first round by the Buffalo Bills as their 7th overall pick. He was the highest-drafted player from the University of Wyoming.

Who Drafted Josh Allen?

Josh Allen was the third quarterback to be drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. Baker Mayfield (drafted by the Cleveland Browns) and Sam Darnold (drafted by the New York Jets) were the two other quarterbacks who were drafted before Allen, who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, in the First Round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Other prominent players from the 2018 draft include running back Saquon Barkley (drafted by the New York Giants), defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (drafted by the Miami Dolphins), and quarterback Lamar Jackson (drafted by the Baltimore Ravens).

Josh Allen's NFL Journey

His career with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted had a slow start. The Bills let him make his first regular-season appearance in September 2018, a match in which he outperformed as he finished with 74 passing yards and 26 rushing yards. Despite losing the match the Bills recognized Allen’s talent and announced that Allen would start the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was in that game that Allen made his first NFL passing touchdown. Eventually, in the third week of the season, Allen led the Bulls to their first victory of the season against the Minnesota Vikings. He dominated the first half of the match during which passed for 196 yards and a touchdown, adding 39 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns in a 27–6 victory. His victorious streak was followed by an elbow injury but this did not prevent him from substantial accomplishments in his first season as a pro. His performance in a rematch against the Dolphins in the 17th week of the season earned him recognition as the AFC's Offensive Player of the Week.

Apart from his slow start and an injury, Allen was also involved in a controversy at the beginning of his NFL career due to certain comments he had made during high school. He faced criticism for using certain racial and homophobic slurs for which he immediately apologized, accepting that it was his naivety in school that had resulted in the comments.

He was named the captain of the Buffalo Bills in his second season with them. His 2020 NFL season was relatively more successful as he was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week four times, becoming the first player in franchise history to have won the title more than three times in a single season. After a successful third season, Allen helped the Bills break their Playoff drought by qualifying for the 2019-20 NFL Playoffs. His contract was renewed by the Bills in 2021 and extended for six years for a whopping amount. Allen surpassed 10,000 career passing yards during a 35–0 shutout win against the Miami Dolphins in the second week of his 2021 season. During his 2021-22 post-season match against Kansas City, Allen achieved the highest-ever postseason passer rating of 149.0 breaking Joe Montana’s 1989 record of 146.4. At the beginning of the 2022 NFL season he led his club to victory against the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Kickoff Game with 26 of 31 passes for 297 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and after rushing for 56 yards and a rushing touchdown in the 31–10 win.

Josh Allen's Teams

Buffalo Bills (2018-Present)

In the first season itself, despite an elbow injury mid-season, Josh Allen became the first quarterback in Bills history to lead the team in both passing and rushing in a season. He led all quarterbacks with eight rushing touchdowns on the season but also had the lowest completion percentage at 52.8. In the 2020 NFL season, Allen became the first quarterback in the club’s history with at least 300 pass yards and three touchdowns in three consecutive weeks and surpassed Jim Kelly's franchise record for most passing touchdowns in the team's first three games with ten. Allen started 11 games for the Bills in his first season. On October 1, 2020, Allen was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for his performance in September. During his fourth season, in a match against the Atlanta Falcons, Allen achieved a career-high three interceptions and had a career-low passer rating of 17, but rushed for 81 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as Buffalo relied on its running game to win 29–15 and clinched its fourth playoff berth in five seasons. The two rushing touchdowns gave Allen six on the year, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for at least six touchdowns in his first four seasons.

Josh Allen's Awards and Achievements

Josh Allen's Records

NFL records

• Most completions by a rookie, game: 37 (2020)

• Most times sacked in a single postseason: 19 (2021)

• Most yards lost on sacks in a single postseason: 137 (2021)

Bengals franchise records

• Most passing yards, game: 525

• Most passing yards, season: 4,611 (2021)

• Most passing touchdowns, season: 34 (2021)

• Highest passer rating, season: 108.3 (2021)

• Highest completion percentage, career (min. 500 pass attempts): 68.1%

• Highest passer rating, career (min. 500 pass attempts): 100.9

• Most 400+ yard passing games, career: 5

• Most 300+ yard passing games, season: 6 (2021)

Josh Allen's Net Worth

Josh Allen’s net worth is estimated to be around $14 million. This is according to his rookie contract with the Bills, which paid him $ 5.3 million a year. The six-year contract he signed in 2021 gave him a $16.5 million signing bonus and guaranteed him $150 million by the end of his contract. He also earns for promoting Nike and has invested in his family ranch.

Read more about Josh Allen's net worth.

Josh Allen's Contract

In July 2018, Allen signed a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $21 million with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted as the seventh overall pick of the season. After he proved his merit through four seasons the Bills exercised the fifth-year option on their first contract with Allen. However, on August 6, 2021, Allen signed a six-year contract extension worth up to $258 million with $150 million guaranteed with the Bills.

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Josh Allen's Family

Allen’s parents Joel and Lavonne Allen have shaped the player immensely as he was the value of hard work was instilled in him by them when they involved him in the work on their 3,000-acre farm in Firebaugh. Allen has a twin brother, Jason Allen. The couple has two other children, Makenna Allen, and Nicala Allen. Allen’s great-grandfather had migrated to the United States from Sweden during the Great Depression and settled in Firebaugh where he built his farm.

Allen was previously dating Brittany Williams, his childhood sweetheart and they dated for six years. The couple called it quits very quietly in 2023. Josh Allen is currently rumored to be dating Hollywood actress Hailee Steinfeld. The couple have been spotted together on numerous occasions although there has been no confirmation from their side.

Josh Allen's Super Bowl Wins

Josh Allen has not played in the Super Bowl yet. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and the second-team All-Pro.

Josh Allen's House

Apart from having investments in his family farm at Firebaugh, Allen owns a 4-bed, 4-bath house in Orchard Park, New York. He purchased this house in 2018 for $659,900.