The Buffalo Bills are in the opening weekend of their 2025-26 season, and there’s a lot of promise around this team, as always. This year, though, there seems to be more promise than ever that the Bills can get to that final matchup, and part of the optimism is thanks to franchise quarterback Josh Allen, who is the reigning MVP.
Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson were largely considered favorites to win the MVP award last season, and it could have gone either way. So, there were likely some hurt feelings when their peers picked Allen over Jackson, and several players in the Ravens’ squad made it clear that they thought Jackson should have gotten the honor.
But, Allen won, and he’s heading into Sunday’s game on September 7 against Jackson and the Ravens as the MVP. So, what are his thoughts on Jackson? After not talking about the MVP rivalry during the offseason, Allen is opening up.
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen Talks Lamar Jackson
When asked about the upcoming matchup against Jackson, Allen didn’t say anything bad about the player. We would expect nothing less from a classic player like Allen. But, Allen also put Jackson on notice by saying that he’s doing everything he can to help their defense contain him.
“You talk about Lamar, he’s one of the best players to touch the grass, honestly,” Allen said, according to The Athletic. “You can’t give him more opportunities than he needs. You can’t give him short fields. He’ll take advantage of those.”
Allen added, “On the offensive side, we don’t play the quarterback. We play the defense and the defensive coordinator. Just doing everything that we can to help our defense out.”
Jackson was also asked about Allen, and he had his comments, too. It’s worth noting that Jackson won MVPs in 2019 and 2023, so he’s been honored multiple times already, and for good reason. Both of these quarterbacks are simply great at what they do.
“The voters voted for who they voted for,” Jackson said. “That’s how they felt. It is what it is. My motivation is the Super Bowl. I’m trying to win the Super Bowl. If MVPs come, I’ll be grateful, but I’m trying to win the Super Bowl.”
Josh Allen Crowned One of the Best QBs in the NFL
In a preseason feature, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reached out to coaches, executives and scouts to name their top quarterbacks in the league going into the 2025-26 season. Allen was named the No. 2 best quarterback in the NFL, only behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Jackson was No. 4 on the tally, behind Allen, Mahomes and No. 3, who was Joe Burrow.
“Since the series started in 2020 until 2023, Allen’s place in the quarterback pantheon was universally celebrated among voters inside the league and highlighted in this piece annually,” Fowler states in the feature. “He became, unquestionably, a top-shelf quarterback in the league.”
So, both Allen and Jackson are getting praise and admiration going into the new season, and they both deserve it. Sunday will be a fun test to see how these players perform under such a big light. It’s a rivalry for the history books.
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