Bills QB Josh Allen forfeits NFL honors for another opportunity
While the Buffalo Bills failed to make the Super Bowl this year, quarterback Josh Allen still had a record-breaking season. During the 2024 NFL Awards ceremony, which aired live on February 8, Allen was one of five finalists in contention for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Allen arrived in Las Vegas ahead of the awards ceremony, which took place at the Resorts World Theater. While fans and media waited for Allen to walk the red carpet, he was nowhere to be seen. When the ceremony began, he was still MIA.
Near the end of the event, Dan “Big Cat” Katz of Barstool Sports revealed Allen’s whereabouts. It turns out the 27-year-old skipped the awards ceremony to join Teak Yak at Competition “A Dozen Quiz”.
Katz posted“I called Josh 2 hours before the show started. He rescheduled his dinner to help a friend in need. A hero’s movement for all time. “Guys, guys, through and through.”
While the no-show may come as a surprise, Allen told The Buffalo News earlier in the day his true feelings about being in Las Vegas and not playing in the Super Bowl.
“I mean, it sucks. I don’t like doing this, you know? – Allen said. “But partnering with some cool brands, again, comes with the territory. As a kid, you always looked at it and thought, “If I were in that position, I think it would be cool to come here and do something cool.” “I think it’s at least a little better to be here, but I don’t want to be here.”
Alex Braschi of Batavia Daily wrote: “Josh Allen plays trivia game on a stool during the NFL awards…my guy, damn it.” One a fan wrote“In Vegas and just hanging out with the guys, not at the NFL Honors. What doubts.”
Fans were hoping to see Josh Allen and Hailee Steinfeld make their red carpet debut
While fans were excited to see Allen in Las Vegas, they were also hoping to see his girlfriend Hailee Steinfeld. Steinfeld and Allen made their first public appearance together back in October, but it would have marked the couple’s red carpet debut.
Allen and the Oscar-nominated actress have been dating since May of last year. Although the couple keeps a very low profile, they are still going strong. A week after the Bills’ postseason run came to an abrupt end, Allen and Steinfeld were spotted together in Southern California.
However, Allen ended up skipping the ceremony altogether, meaning the couple’s red carpet debut will have to wait. Allen has attended the NFL awards ceremony twice before, in 2020 and 2022. He finished third in MVP voting in 2022 and finished second in 2020. Both times he brought his ex-girlfriend Brittany Williams with him. Allen and Williams separated in April 2023.
Josh Allen was not predicted to win the MVP award.
Allen led the league in total touchdowns (44) and yards (4,830). He also led the Bills to their fourth straight AFC East title. The Wyoming graduate set a new NFL record with both a passing and rushing touchdown in 10 regular-season games. However, Allen was not expected to win this year’s MVP award.
The Bills franchise star is competing against four other candidates: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Niners running back Christian McCaffrey.
Jackson was the expected favorite to win the MVP award for the second time in his career. The 27-year-old won the vote unanimously back in 2019. And he eventually won again in 2024. Last season, Jackson led the league in assists and led the league’s most productive offense.
However, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports believed that this year the award should have gone to Allen. I wrote, “Even though Josh Allen is unlikely to win, he was the MVP of the 2023 season.”
Bleacher Report’s Joe Tansey wrote, “Allen would have been the favorite to win MVP if the award had only been awarded for the second half of the regular season… but he had several poor performances in the first half that left his resume incomplete.”