NFL writer says Bills aren't making Josh Allen's 'life any easier' in 2024 season

An NFL.com columnist has questioned whether the Buffalo Bills have done enough to surround quarterback Josh Allen for the upcoming season.

Nov 13, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

It’s a question that’s been raised by some segments of the Buffalo Bills fanbase throughout the 2024 NFL offseason—is the team doing enough to help quarterback Josh Allen?

The former All-Pro is one of the best signal-callers in the league by whatever metric you want to use. Passing yards? He was fourth in the league last year with 4,306. Total touchdowns? He was first in the NFL in 2023 with 51, and he’s been top three in the statistic in each of the past four seasons. Allen, in fact, is the only player in league history who has totaled more than 40 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, and he looks primed to make it a fifth in the 2024 campaign.

At just 28 years of age and in the midst of a mega-contract, Allen is very much in his prime, with several pundits around the league believing it’s not a matter of if, but when he ultimately hoists the Lombardi Trophy.

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The 2024 NFL season may not be the one that culminates with the quarterback telling the world he’s going to Disney World, however. The Bills, as described by general manager Brandon Beane, are a team “in transition,” moving on from stalwart starters like Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Mitch Morse, Gabriel Davis, and Stefon Diggs in the offseason while promoting younger players into more prominent immediate roles.

The moves, should they prove fruitful and the new ‘core’ develop as anticipated, would ultimately benefit the team and extend its championship window. Growing pains cannot be ruled out in the interim, however; succinctly, the team may take one step back to soon take two or three steps forward.

The sentiment is reflected in NFL.com columnist Judy Battista’s latest article identifying which teams helped their quarterback in the 2024 offseason, with the Bills slotting in amongst those who did not aid their passer.

“Rookie WR Keon Coleman will almost certainly start immediately; it’s not a mistake that Bills brass have talked about the second-round pick's ability to play above the rim and make big gains in support of Allen,” Battista wrote. “Is that enough? Buffalo figures to lean on its tight ends, too, but with so many familiar faces gone, including on defense, this feels like a season in which the Bills are setting themselves up for the future. 

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“That’s a good thing overall, and Allen makes Buffalo a contender no matter how unfamiliar the receivers are to him, but it might not make Allen’s life any easier immediately.”

Battista’s analysis is fair, as Buffalo is objectively placing a lot on Allen’s shoulders in asking him to elevate a talented, but largely inexperienced group of pass-catchers. Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid flashed down the stretch last season and second-round rookie Keon Coleman possesses a ton of promise, but one would be forgiven for not being entirely solid on the immediate feasibility of the trio.

The Bills aren’t misguided in asking Allen to elevate a young group, however—he’s one of the league’s premiere players, and he’s being paid to lift those around him. One could justifiably be upset to not see Buffalo maximizing its potential in the 2024 season, but should it ultimately build on the foundation it's laying now, it could eventually reach even higher highs than the ones it's already experienced with Allen at the helm.