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Bills Josh Allen says 'best version of himself' is still ahead
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- Bills Josh Allen says 'best version of himself' is still ahead
Bills QB Josh Allen is a former NFL MVP with multiple AFC Championship Game appearances, who is knocking on the door of making a Super Bowl berth with Buffalo , and telling reporters he thinks he can still be better.
He's also a new father.
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While speaking with the media Monday at One Bills Drive during the team's voluntary veteran minicamp, Allen shared a "change in perspective" he's experienced since he and wife Hailee Steinfeld welcomed their first child, a daughter, earlier in April.
"I'm very excited," Allen said. "I do feel this is going to be the best version of myself."
This is good news, since he's returning from a foot bone removal procedure following a painful January divisional-round playoff exit in Denver .
Allen, who turns 30 next month, was asked whether becoming a father would soften the edge that turned him into a franchise quarterback and league MVP.
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"The want to win will never change," Allen said while crediting Steinfeld for handling things so he could be with the team. "The why I want to do it has. So why I want to do it: to show my family, to show my daughter how hard you need to work to accomplish something so great. And as long as I play this game, that's gonna be my mindset."
GM Brandon Beane has spent the last two months responding to areas of roster need. Having also been promoted to a second role, President of Football Operations, he's improving the talent around Allen through free agency and trades, as the Bills enter tonight's NFL Draft seeking to continue to do so.
He's added wide receiver D.J. Moore in a trade, edge rusher Bradley Chubb in free agency, and veteran safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the secondary.
Those additions addressed areas of need in the offense and defense exiting last season, such as a true X receiver who can get open, a proven double-digit-sack getter to play across from Greg Rousseau , and a competitive, vocal communicator among the defensive backs. They are known commodities instead of development projects.
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When a team has a former MVP quarterback at age 29 and an open championship window, these moves are logical. Allen is referencing that about him and the Bills being "in position" as well.
Buffalo is approaching its first season with former offensive coordinator Joe Brady as its head coach. His promotion from interim to full-time play-caller midway through the 2024 season also coincided with Allen's MVP run, and the Bills' offense went with more pre-snap motion, more under-center play-action, and fewer empty-set bailouts that relied too much on Allen dropping back and performing heroics.
A full offseason of Brady's HC and offensive install and Moore as a No. 1 perimeter target should give the Buffalo offense and Allen his cleanest pre-snap efficiency since their peak years with Stefon Diggs .
"Any given day it can happen for ya, and you have to stay ready," Allen added. "We're going to continue to try and give ourselves chances to be in that spot again and try to learn from our past mistakes."
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills Josh Allen says 'best version of himself' is still ahead
