Josh Allen has collected an MVP award, eight playoff wins, and almost every individual accolade available to an NFL quarterback. A trip to the Super Bowl remains the glaring omission.
ESPN analyst Jordan Rodgers argued on “Get Up” that the criticism has gone too far, saying Allen has “done enough to win a Super Bowl” and pointing toward the Buffalo Bills’ defense instead. The defense of Allen immediately became almost as controversial as Allen’s postseason résumé itself.
NFL World Pushes Back on Josh Allen Defense
Rodgers, an ESPN analyst, called the scrutiny “misguided” and asked whether Allen was supposed to play defense, but former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner had a very different read after Buffalo’s latest postseason exit.
“Wow, this is nonsense!” Joyner wrote.
He pointed to Allen’s four turnovers in the Bills’ 33-30 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos, arguing that the standard applied to Allen has become noticeably softer than the scrutiny faced by quarterbacks who have already won championships.
Wow, this is nonsense! Did he not watch last yrs playoff loss to the @Broncos??? 3 fumbles, 2 Ints, 4 lost TOs! The scrutiny for a #SB champ & MVP is louder than for a guys who has never played in a #SB, let alone “BEING GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN ONE!” The double standard is palpable!… https://t.co/NSuaDXH88b
— Seth Joyner (@sethjoyner) September 3, 2026
Brycen reduced the debate to five words: “Now Josh Allen has hypothetical rings.”
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O.J. Spivey was equally unimpressed, as he wrote, “He hasn’t even done enough to reach one.”
Adam Tabatchnick focused on the Denver loss, noting Buffalo committed five turnovers and that Allen accounted for four of them.
“The Bills committed 5 turnovers vs. the Broncos in the playoffs this past season, 4 of which came from the hands of Josh Allen. FOUR,” he wrote on X. “Sure, eliminate the INTs and sack fumbles to say it’s a part of the game. But the fumble with 15 seconds left before the half, which led to a FG for the Broncos, is directly Josh’s fault (Bills would go on to lose by 3). The defense most certainly deserves a ton of blame, but I can’t understand why we can’t hold Josh accountable as well.”
The Bills committed 5 turnovers vs. the Broncos in the playoffs this past season, 4 of which came from the hands of Josh Allen
FOUR
Sure, eliminate the INTs and sack fumbles to say it’s a part of the game. But the fumble with 15 seconds left before the half which led to a FG… https://t.co/nylxfjDLFz
— Adam Tabatchnick (@atabss) September 2, 2026
Mark Gunnels took aim at the larger media treatment. “We’ve never seen PR like this before. Truly generational stuff,” Gunnels wrote.
We’ve never seen PR like this before.
Truly generational stuff. https://t.co/pBjRtk5IR0
— Mark Gunnels (@MarkAGunnels) September 3, 2026
The criticism landed because the Broncos game is difficult to separate from the conversation.
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Allen threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Buffalo’s five total turnovers were the only five possessions that did not produce points in the Denver loss.
Allen Enters 2026 with the Same Missing Piece
Rodgers still has a substantial statistical case for defending Allen’s broader playoff career. Buffalo has reached the postseason in seven consecutive seasons with Allen as its centerpiece, and the quarterback has repeatedly performed at an elite level despite not appearing in a Super Bowl.
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His 2025 regular season included 3,668 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, 579 rushing yards, and 14 rushing scores. Allen finished No. 9 among qualifying quarterbacks with an 80.3 PFN QB Impact grade.
Buffalo responded to January’s loss by firing Sean McDermott and promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach. The franchise now begins another attempt at breaking through with a new staff, while Allen remains the unquestioned center of its championship hopes.
None of that settles the argument that exploded around Rodgers’ comments. Allen has been good enough to keep Buffalo in the championship conversation for years, but the Bills have still never reached the Super Bowl with him.
That distinction is exactly why saying he has already “done enough” produced such a fierce response.
