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Bills QB Josh Allen Gives Surprising Praise to Baker Mayfield: 'I'm Serious!'

When asked who has the strongest arm in the NFL, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen said to not overlook Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Baker Mayfield.

Jon Alfano

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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has arguably the strongest arm in the NFL today, but when asked who has THE strongest, he took the opportunity to show some love to his fellow signal-callers.

Allen appeared on Fox Sports 1's Speak during Super Bowl media week when former NFL running back and Bills teammate LeSean McCoy asked him for his opinion on the strongest arm debate. While not his pick for the title, Allen gave a special shoutout to a quarterback whose arm talent he feels is under appreciated, Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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“You know who’s got a sneaky big arm is [Mayfield],” Allen said. “Baker Mayfield’s got a cannon, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for it. I’m serious. He can absolutely chuck the ball.”

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McCoy and the rest of the Speak crew laughed off Allen's comment, but looking deeper, he seems to be on to something. Mayfield is one of few quarterbacks to ever have a throw eclipse 60 miles per hour at the NFL Scouting Combine (Allen being another), and in December of 2020, he threw the longest NFL pass Pro Football Focus has ever tracked in a game.

Allen and Mayfield were two of the top quarterback prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft, but their careers have taken drastically different turns. The No. 7 overall pick, Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league and finished in the top five of MVP voting in three of the last four seasons. On the other hand, Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick, has been on a roller coaster throughout his career.

Mayfield had his ups and downs with the Cleveland Browns, the team that drafted him, but helped them win a playoff game in 2020, their first since returning to the league in 1999. 

In 2021, though, Mayfield played most of the season with a severe shoulder injury that led to a drastic decline in his performance. After that, the Browns decided to trade for the controversial Deshaun Watson while tossing Mayfield to the side, and he spent time with both the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

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Even with his struggles, Mayfield earned one last chance with Tampa Bay last offseason. Most expected him to just be a bridge option while the Buccaneers rebuilt after losing Tom Brady, but Mayfield shocked the world by putting together a career season with 4,044 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He led the Buccaneers to an NFC South title and an appearance in the Divisional Round before finishing third in Comeback Player of the Year voting.

Despite the two quarterbacks not crossing paths too often, it's nice to see Allen supporting his fellow 2018 draftee.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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