Pittsford, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - With Day 2 of Buffalo Bills training camp in the books at St. John Fisher University, quarterback Josh Allen knows exactly what he needs to do to get himself ready for the upcoming 2025 season.
Allen had a busy offseason, which included getting married. He says all of that didn’t stop him from putting in the work to get ready for camp.
"I was just trying to stay in shape, keep in contact with the guys, and make sure we’re on the same page. It’s great to be back out there flying around," said Allen following Wednesday's practice in Rochester.
With the Bills on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this training camp, there are going to be cameras and microphones everywhere. While it’s not his favorite thing to have his every word heard, Allen can live with it.
"I was mic’d up [Wednesday]... I feel like I can’t say everything I want to say, but it’s cool," Allen said. "We know we have 'Hard Knocks' in house, and everyone has been so awesome so far. It's been cool to see them around, and at the end of the day, we do feel like they have our back."
Allen admits he isn’t too worried about the cameras being around all the time.
"We have to go out there and still feel like we’re being ourselves, and keep the main thing the main thing. That’s coming out here, building our football team, and trying to be the best players that we can be," Allen said. "Coach [Sean] McDermott hit it pretty much on the head, that this is what a good organization looks like. People are going to get a sneak peak into that, and just how we operate. We're just, 'Let's do what we do, and whatever is shown is shown.'"
Not many NFL teams go away for training camp, let alone take camp on a college campus. Allen feels this group knows how to ramp up to get this team where it needs to be.
"You can’t win the Super Bowl without making the playoffs. That’s our No. 1 goal. That’s the standard that coach McDermott set here for so long, and that’s playoff caliber," Allen said. "You have to take every step before that in order to succeed and to accomplish that goal.
"We’re taking it one day at a time, and we’re just out here trying to get better. We don’t even have pads on and we’re acclimating to some of the new guys, and being in the dorm room and hanging out with the guys and learning about their lives on a deeper level, and just trying to really build that comradery. I really think that’s why we go away from Buffalo and come to Rochester, and this is one of the steps I enjoy the most about this job."
Some players don’t like being at training camp, but Allen isn’t wired that way.
"I’ve always loved it," he said. "It’s just being away, every moment you’re aware you’re around your teammates, around friends, the strength staff getting work done. There’s no better way to get better at football than here."
Related
We all know what happened on the Bills' last offensive play of the 2024 season when tight end Dalton Kincaid dropped a fourth down pass in the AFC Championship Game. Kincaid has been working this offseason to be better for Year 3 in Orchard Park, and he also wants to have an even better relationship with his quarterback.
"It’s making sure we’re on the same page. It’s constant communication, but that relationship needs to continue to grow and evolve," Allen said. "I love Dalton like a brother. He’s a special human being, and I do believe he’s a special player. I know he has so much potential left, and we’re here to try to unlock that. I’ve got supreme faith in him."
Allen says he can think of, at least, three plays to Kincaid that he missed that would’ve been touchdowns. He believes if he had been better throwing those balls, the conversation about the tight end would be totally different.
All Bills fans and the team know that in order to win a championship, they have to figure out a way past the Kansas City Chiefs. Allen realizes that, but thinks of it in different terms.
"We can only control what we can control, and that’s this training camp right now," he said. "We don’t think about that as much as people tend to think. Ultimately, we know that it probably runs through them in the playoffs as it has for six, seven years. So we just have to continue to put our best foot forward and not focus on the results, and enjoy the process."
The Bills get back to work Friday morning at 9:45 a.m. from St. John Fisher.