Joshua Patrick Allen Bio
Joshua Patrick Allen is an American professional football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. A native of Firebaugh, California, Allen overcame being a lightly regarded high school prospect with no Division I scholarship offers to become one of the NFL’s most dynamic quarterbacks. Selected seventh overall by the Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft, Allen has guided Buffalo to seven playoff appearances, five consecutive AFC East division titles, and two conference championship games. He was named NFL Most Valuable Player in 2024 and has earned four Pro Bowl selections. Allen is married to actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Patrick Allen was born on May 21, 1996, in Firebaugh, California, a small town approximately 40 miles west of Fresno. His family has deep roots in the area, dating back to his great-grandfather Arvid Allen, a Swedish immigrant who settled the family’s 3,000-acre cotton farm during the Great Depression. The farm was established in 1975 by his paternal grandfather, who served as a longtime school board member and has the Firebaugh High School gymnasium named in his honor. Allen graduated from Firebaugh High School in 2014.
Allen was a multi-sport athlete in high school, lettering in football while also serving as the leading scorer on his basketball team and pitching on the baseball team, where he reached 90 mph with his fastball. Despite his athletic abilities, Allen received no scholarship offers from NCAA Division I programs. He worked regularly on the family farm and at his mother’s restaurant in Firebaugh. Through the National FFA Organization, Allen received numerous awards for his agricultural work, including ranking in the top four nationally in diversified crop production in 2014.
Path to American Football
Allen began his college career at Reedley College, a junior college in California. In his only season with the Reedley Tigers in 2014, he led an offense that averaged 452.2 yards per game and ranked among the top ten in California in total offense. Allen threw for 26 touchdown passes with only 4 interceptions and ran for four touchdowns in his third game before becoming the starter. He sent recruitment emails to every FBS head coach nationwide near the end of the season, receiving interest from only Eastern Michigan and Wyoming.
After Eastern Michigan withdrew its offer, Allen enrolled at the University of Wyoming in 2015. Former Fresno State assistant Dave Brown, now part of Craig Bohl’s inaugural staff at Wyoming, recognized Allen’s potential and advocated for his recruitment. Offensive coordinator Brent Vigen noticed similarities between Allen and Carson Wentz, whom he had previously recruited at North Dakota State. Bohl made the only FBS visit to Allen’s family farm, telling his father that Allen would become the face of the Wyoming program. Allen played sparingly in 2015 before suffering a broken collarbone in his first career start. He returned as the starter in 2016, throwing for over 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns. After initially planning to enter the 2017 NFL Draft, Bohl and Vigen convinced him to stay an additional year, and he ultimately graduated with a degree in social science in 2017.
Joshua Patrick Allen Career
Rookie Season (2018)
The Buffalo Bills selected Allen with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, trading up from 12th with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the selection. He signed a four-year, fully guaranteed $21 million contract in July and competed for the starting job through training camp. Allen began the season as the backup to Nathan Peterman before taking over after Peterman posted a 0.0 passer rating in Week 2 against Baltimore. Allen made his first regular season appearance that day, finishing with 74 passing yards and 26 rushing yards in the 47-3 loss.
Allen became the starter in Week 3 and led the Bills to their first victory of the season against Minnesota, passing for 196 yards and a touchdown while adding 39 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including a memorable hurdle over Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr that went viral on social media. He became the first quarterback in Bills history to lead the team in both passing and rushing yards in a single season, setting a franchise record with eight rushing touchdowns by a quarterback while passing for 2,074 yards with 10 interceptions.
Breakthrough Seasons (2019–2022)
Allen entered 2019 as Buffalo’s opening day starter and team captain. He threw for 3,089 yards with 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions while rushing for 510 yards and 9 touchdowns, leading the league with 4 fourth-quarter comebacks and 5 game-winning drives. The Bills finished 10-6 and made the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.
The 2020 season marked Allen’s breakthrough year. He passed for 4,544 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 421 yards and 8 touchdowns, earning his first Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors. Allen led Buffalo to its first AFC East division title since 1995 and first playoff win since that year, defeating the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week four times and finished second in MVP voting.
Allen signed a six-year extension worth up to $258 million in August 2021. He passed for 4,407 yards with 36 touchdowns and rushed for 763 yards and 6 touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history with 40 or more total touchdowns in each of his first four seasons. He led Buffalo to a second consecutive division title and another playoff win over New England before losing to Kansas City in the Divisional Round. In 2022, Allen compiled his third straight season with over 4,000 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 6 rushing touchdowns while leading the Bills to their third consecutive AFC East title.
Recent Seasons (2023–2025)
Allen enjoyed another standout campaign in 2023, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 2 against Las Vegas. In Week 4 against Miami, he achieved a perfect passer rating of 158.3, completing 21 of 25 passes for 320 yards and 4 touchdowns. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to score 40 total touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, despite throwing a career-high 18 interceptions. The Bills won their fourth consecutive division title and advanced to the Divisional Round before losing to Kansas City.
Allen won the NFL MVP Award in 2024 after passing for 4,269 yards with 28 touchdowns and rushing for 531 yards and 13 touchdowns while committing only 8 turnovers, the fewest of his career. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game and led Buffalo to a 13-4 record and the AFC’s number two seed. He guided the Bills past Denver and Baltimore in the playoffs before losing to Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game for the fourth consecutive time.
Playing Style and Strengths
Allen combines exceptional physical tools with refined technique. His 6-foot-5 frame, powerful arm, and deceptive speed make him one of the NFL’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. He is the all-time leading postseason rusher among quarterbacks and one of five quarterbacks to record multiple seasons with 700 or more rushing yards. Working with throwing coaches Jordan Palmer and Chris Hess, Allen improved his completion percentage by 17% from his rookie year to his third season, an NFL-record improvement over a two-year span. In 2024, he adapted to league-wide defensive shifts with a more patient approach, reducing his interception total to a career-low 6.
Notable Records and Milestones
Allen holds numerous franchise records including most career rushing touchdowns by a Bills quarterback, surpassing Thurman Thomas’s mark of 65 in 2025. He is the NFL’s all-time leader in games with both a passing and rushing touchdown. In 2025, Wyoming retired his number 17 jersey, making him the first player in program history to receive that honor. He was inducted into the University of Wyoming Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025.
Joshua Patrick Allen Career Statistics
Through the 2025 season, Allen has passed for 30,102 yards with 220 touchdowns and 94 interceptions, completing 64% of his passes for a 94.4 passer rating. He has rushed for 4,721 yards and 79 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he has guided Buffalo to 11 victories, including playoff wins over New England, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Denver across multiple seasons.
Buffalo Bills Highlights
Allen’s signature moments include leading the Bills to their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 1993 in 2020, winning the NFL MVP Award in 2024, and breaking the franchise rushing touchdown record in 2025. In the 2025 season opener against Baltimore, he passed for 394 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns while engineering a comeback from a 40-25 deficit to win 41-40. In Week 13 of 2024 against San Francisco, he became the first quarterback to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game.
Other Activities
Allen is an avid golfer who declined Pro Bowl invitations to compete in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He finished 37th in the 2023 American Century Championship and participated in The Match alongside Patrick Mahomes. He has appeared on the cover of Madden NFL 24, becoming the first Bills player on the cover.
Joshua Patrick Allen Family
Family Background
Allen grew up on his family’s farm, the Allen Ranch, which spans approximately 3,000 acres near Firebaugh. He is a fourth-generation farmer and has invested in the ranch to plant and cultivate 2,500 acres of pistachio trees over the next decade. His grandfather was a longtime school board member in Firebaugh, and his great-grandfather established the farm during the Great Depression.
Personal Life
Allen began dating actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld in May 2023, with the couple publicly revealing their relationship in July 2024. He proposed on November 22, 2024, and they were married in Ventura, California, on May 31, 2025. Allen is a fan of classic music and maintains a pregame playlist featuring Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, and Billy Joel. He is a spokesperson for the Golisano Children’s Hospital in Buffalo and established the Patricia Allen Fund in honor of his grandmother, whose memory inspired fans to donate over $1 million to the hospital in 2020.
2025 Season Outlook
The 2025 season marks a new chapter for Allen and the Bills after the firing of head coach Sean McDermott following the Divisional Round loss to Denver in January. Joe Brady, previously the offensive coordinator, was promoted to head coach. Allen signed a landmark six-year contract extension worth $330 million in March 2025, with $250 million guaranteed at signing. He enters the season as the franchise’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback and continues to build on his legacy as one of the most accomplished players in Bills history.