Josh Allen’s career with the Buffalo Bills has, like much of the franchise’s history, been largely defined by his inability to win a Super Bowl. Last season ended with another disappointing AFC playoff loss, this time to the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.
As great as Allen is and has been, the calls for him to take the next step and help get Buffalo over the hump are growing louder than ever, especially after a season when the AFC felt wide open for the first time since the ascendance of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Max Kellerman went as far as to say that as “good” as Allen has proven himself to be, the former MVP has “failed the greatness test.”
Others, however, haven’t been anywhere near as critical of Allen, instead pinning the blame for Buffalo’s playoff blunders on the pieces around the quarterback. On Thursday’s episode of Get Up on ESPN, Jordan Rodgers did just that, asking whether Allen was supposed to play defense and “tackle” his opponents too, after host Mike Greenberg questioned how much blame should fall on Allen’s shoulders if Buffalo fails to get over the hump again, considering how Buffalo’s offseason played out.
“Yeah, I think the scrutiny is misguided, though. If you look at Josh Allen over the last, really, six times they’ve been in the playoffs, the last 6 playoff losses, he has 14 touchdowns to one interception,” Rodgers said. “He has a QBR of 88. He’s only taken six sacks in 237 dropbacks.
“The scrutiny is misguided. … Josh Allen has done enough to win a Super Bowl.”
Is the Josh Allen criticism warranted? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/VsCQXeaNtZ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 2, 2026
“They lost three consecutive times by 3 points or fewer. Where should the scrutiny be? Defense,” Rodgers told his co-panelists, including an incredulous Adam Schefter.
“Yeah, can we get a stop? Can Josh Allen play defense? Because if he can’t, that’s where the scrutiny should be. To me, Josh Allen has done enough to win a Super Bowl, to get them to a Super Bowl. The defense has been the one that’s let him down.”
“What does our friend Rex Ryan always say?” Schefter asked rhetorically after Rodgers finished. “Josh Allen has never lost a game.”
As much as Rodgers and other media members may love rooting for Allen, he’s entering his ninth season in the NFL. If he fails to lead Buffalo to a Super Bowl yet again, it’ll be more than fair to question if he has the “greatness” required to ever get it done.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.