Ryan Fitzpatrick flawlessly explains why Bills QB Josh Allen is ‘perfect’ for Buffalo

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane received a barrage of criticism after trading up for then-controversial Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, parting with significant assets to select a player that a number of draft analysts considered a red-flagged small-school signal-caller with little hope of developing into a franchise centerpiece. He received frequent backlash for his subsequent comments and analysis, including a draft nightly commentary in which he stated that Allen “is Buffalo.“

Fast forward to 2024 and Beane was right. About it all. Not only has Allen developed into one of the league’s most dynamic players, a one-of-a-kind quarterback who is the only player in NFL history to amass 40-plus touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, but he epitomizes what Buffalo fans have long been yearning for. in a franchise player. He blends his off-field humility and ‘regular guy’ energy with on-field confidence and competitiveness that is second to none; he puts his body on the line every single week, and Western New Yorkers adore him for it.

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Allen seems to just get Buffalo does that in a way few players do, which, when paired with his otherworldly talent, allows him to be one of the more beloved players in recent Bills history. He understands Buffalo much the same way former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick does got Western New York; none of them were from the region or had any connection to it before joining the organization, but they embraced the city and its people when they arrived, and their adoration was thus reciprocated.

Fitzpatrick, who played for nine clubs during his 17-year career but has long described the Bills as his favorite, has liked Allen in recent years, and the two have formed a friendship thanks to their shared demeanor. Buffalo’s former quarterback sang the praises of his current signal caller during a recent appearance on the The Rich Eisen Showthat describes him as the ideal franchise centerpiece for a team based in Western New York.

“I will say this, Josh Allen is the perfect quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, and that goes far beyond his playmaking ability,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s his personality, it’s how much he cares about the city, it’s how he holds and carries himself every single day, and he understands, deep down, he understands how important it is to that city for him to bring a Super Bowl for them, and I know that’s his biggest wish in the world. I’d definitely be out there among them, shirtless, if that were to happen, and it would be a wild scene because they live, eat, sleep Bills football out there.”

Although employed as an NFL analyst by Amazon, Fitzpatrick has done little to hide his Bills fandom in recent years, attending their 2021 Wild Card round game against the New England Patriots as a fan before offering to pay several player fines this season. He wants to see Buffalo hoist a Lombardi Trophy as much as any Bills fan, and Allen has the team well positioned to do so this season as the Bills are 9-2 through the first 12 weeks of the campaign.

Fitzpatrick went on to talk about what a Super Bowl win would mean to Buffalo fans, telling host Rich Eisen that it would be the realization of a lifelong wish for thousands of people.

“People have been waiting their whole lives for this, and it’s a generational thing,” Fitzpatrick said. “You’re not a Bills fan and then you move somewhere (and like another team), your kids become Bills fans if you were a Bills fan. It doesn’t matter where you live. That’s it funniest I have to go through the airport every week when I pass a gate that says Buffalo or Rochester or I see someone with a Bills hat on they wear it all the time They wear it on their sleeve and they absolutely love to be Bills fans, and it’s really part of their identity.”

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