Josh Allen played part in Connor McGovern returning to the Bills

Connor McGovern returned to the Buffalo Bills , re-signing with the team instead of leaving as a free agent.

Quarterback Josh Allen was a reason why he's back in the offensive line fold.

Upon re-signing, McGovern spoke via press conference and admitted a conversation with Allen did help his decision.

“They were gonna let me test free agency,” McGovern said. “Then our good friend No. 17 kind of got involved and wanted to make sure that this got done.”

A new four-year contract brought McGovern back. The 28-year-old anchored Buffalo's offensive line in the middle last year.  Pro Football Focus  ranked the Bills' O-line as the sixth-best in the NFL at the end of the 2025 season.

That reference to McGovern coming close to testing the free agency waters was confirmed by general manager Brandon Beane as well.

"I’ll even tell you, 12 hours before (McGovern’s deal) was done, I thought we were probably losing them both ( David Edwards ). I didn’t feel great about it. I hadn’t given up, but I didn’t have a lot of faith for either and so we were also making plans because you’ve got to be prepared for anything," Beane said .

For more from McGovern, see the attached clip below:

This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Josh Allen played part in Connor McGovern returning to the Bills