The story behind Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s unique teammate handshakes

Josh Allen reveals how he designs the special handshake with each teammate

Ronnie Eastham | Jan 4, 2025

Dec 29, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) congratulates Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Since Josh Allen was drafted by the Bills in 2018 we've seen him develop unique handshakes with many of his teammates. No two handshakes seem to be the same. Allen recently sat down with former Bills center Eric Wood on Wood's podcast, Centered on Buffalo, and discussed the story behind his handshakes.

Allen reveals how he designs these handshakes and whether he collaborates with teammates on them.

"They're easy to remember, there's nothing too complex, to be honest", said Allen when asked about how he remembers all these handshakes. He also confirmed he doesn't come up with all the nuances of the shake either, leaving it up to the individual players, and he might add a thing or two, but it's mostly the respective player's ideas and what they want in the handshake. Allen added, "I lean on the players and what they like to do and what they like to see".

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Bills quarterback Josh Allen and running back LeSean McCoy, share a custom handshake during training camp at St. John Fisher College. / JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE via Imagn Content Services, LLC

These Allen special handshakes begun when he first joined the Bills, starting in Allen's first NFL training camp when he and his teammates began creating their special shakes. This past offseason, with a nearly entirely new cast of receivers, Allen and his pass catchers were already in sync with their unique handshakes during summer mini camps.

With almost an entirely new WR room Josh Allen already has the handshakes down 🤝#BillsMafia @WKBW pic.twitter.com/KGcQQs2X2W
— Matthew Bové (@Matt_Bove) May 21, 2024

We might even see some new shakes this weekend when several young players take the field for the first time.

The Bills will likely bring in some new and fresh faces to the Bills skill positions again next season, and Allen will once again have a 'handful' of handshakes to collaborate on with the new additions.

Despite Allen saying they aren't complex or hard to remember, it's no less impressive how many handshakes he's performed over the last seven years, and with so many different players. Billsmafia hopes to see these handshakes continue through the Super Bowl in February.