Josh Allen is now the longest-tenured quarterback in the AFC East.
Just three years into his career, the Buffalo Bills quarterback is king of the division. The New York Jets’ decision to trade Sam Darnold highlights his excellence.
The Jets dealt Darnold to the Carolina Panthers on Monday in exchange for three draft picks, putting a merciful end to the USC standout’s brutal time in the Meadowlands. The Gang Green selected Darnold with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, just four spots ahead of where the Bills took Allen.
They had become good friends throughout the draft process, and some thought they would compete against each other for years to come.
Obviously, those predictions never came to fruition. As Allen flourished, Darnold floundered. He never got better.
The Bills were all-too-familiar with failed young quarterbacks before Allen came along: J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, E.J. Manuel. They all cycled through mediocre coaches and played under varying degrees of organizational instability. In addition to lacking talent, they lacked structure.
That was also the story of Darnold’s tenure with the Jets. Cursed with the misfortune of playing under Adam Gase for the last two seasons, he was never in the right environment to succeed. There was lots of infighting and nasty rumors, but little development.
Last season was the absolute low point for Darnold. He threw nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 12 starts, winning only two of them. It was the complete opposite of Allen’s breakout campaign. One was talked about as an MVP candidate, and the other was sent to the bench.
Allen was a human highlight reel in 2020, completing 69.2% of his passes for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns — along with over 400 yards rushing and eight touchdowns on the ground. He’s blossomed under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who’s established himself as one of the best offensive coordinators in the league.
There’s a reason why Mitchell Trubisky reportedly passed up a chance to start in Denver to come to Buffalo for a season. He believes this is the best place to rebuild his value. It’s quite an endorsement.
Meanwhile, both the Jets and Darnold are looking for fresh starts.
New York is now free to select a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, most likely BYU’s Zach Wilson. They remain stuck in the perpetual cycle of rebuilding, hoping for their savior to arrive.
The Bills’ quarterback savior arrived when Allen came to Orchard Park in 2018. It took some work for him to get there, but he started breaking out in 2019, leading the Bills to a playoff berth. Then he just exploded.
Now the question is, how much will he get paid? Allen is destined for one of those nine-figure extensions, and he deserves every penny.
We can talk all we want about McDermott’s coaching acumen and the defenses he’s built. We can laud Stefon Diggs and marvel at the playmakers across the roster. But Allen is the biggest reason for Buffalo’s success. The Bills are Super Bowl contenders, and it starts with him.
Tom Brady showed us the value of the quarterback. You can have the greatest coach of all-time, but without a reliable pass-thrower, you’re going to lose more than you win. The New England Patriots went on a historic free agency spending spree, but still have Cam Newton sitting at the top of their quarterback depth chart. Until that changes, the Bills have nothing to fear.
Tua Tagovailoa is entering his second season with the Miami Dolphins, but last year, he was still benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick in a couple of key moments. He’s far from approaching Allen on any level.
Right now, Allen is the best quarterback in the division, and there isn’t a close second. That means the path is clear for the Bills.
It will be a thrill to see where Allen leads them. Hopefully the journey ends with a Lombardi Trophy.