Historic. It’s the best way to describe Josh Allen’s ability to create touchdowns.
The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback has played 61 NFL regular-season games and produced 134 combined touchdowns passing and rushing.
Only two players in the history of the league have accounted for more TDs in their first 61 games played. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes produced 155. Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer Dan Marino produced 150.
Mahomes, Marino, Allen.
Allen turns 26 years old Saturday. In observance of his birthday, it’s a good time to recognize how Allen’s production stacks up at this still-early stage of his career and what milestones are on his immediate horizon.
Winning, of course, is the most important measure of a quarterback’s success. Allen will enter the 2022 campaign with a 39-21 record as a starter in the regular season and three consecutive playoff appearances under his belt.
He also will enter the season with larger-than-ever expectations, thanks to the talent the Bills have assembled and his phenomenal playoff performances last January vs. New England and Kansas City.
Allen now has five playoff games with 250 or more passing yards and 50 or more rushing yards. No other quarterback in history has more than two.
“All the great quarterbacks I’ve ever been around – from Peyton Manning, to Matthew Stafford to all the guys I’ve been around – they all have this aura about them,” said new Bills defensive end Von Miller. “Like no matter how high it gets, no matter how low it gets, no matter if it’s OTAs or no matter if it’s the day before the Super Bowl. And Josh Allen has this aura about him, for sure.”
Here’s some perspective on Allen’s accomplishments through age 25: Still young
Allen will enter the season as the 17th oldest starting QB in the league, based on current depth charts. Allen has made 66 career starts, counting playoffs.
Yet on opening night in Los Angeles this September, Allen still will be three months younger than Jim Kelly was when the latter started his first game for the Bills in 1986. Kelly, of course, took a detour to the USFL before signing with Buffalo.
“It flies by,” Allen said this spring. “It’s Year 5 for me now. This is crazy. I remember sitting up here the day after the draft and talking to some of you here. It flies by.” There has been a lot of change around the NFL at quarterback the past several seasons.
Only four teams will enter the 2022 season with a starting quarterback who has a longer tenure with their team than the Bills with Allen: Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers, Las Vegas with Derek Carr, Dallas with Dak Prescott and Kansas City with Mahomes.
Rushing TDs
Allen has 31 rushing touchdowns in his career. He’s third among active NFL QBs in rushing TDs, behind Cam Newton (75) and Rodgers (34).
He’s the first QB ever to have six or more rushing TDs in four consecutive seasons.
With three rushing TDs this season, Allen will enter the top 10 for career rushing TDs by a QB. With six, Allen will pass Michael Vick (36), and with seven he will rise to fifth.
On the Bills’ all-time rushing list, Allen is tied with Cookie Gilchrist for No. 3 in rushing TDs. Thurman Thomas is first with 65 and O.J. Simpson second with 57.
