Building strong connections with his teammates has always been important to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Even back in high school in Firebaugh, California, Allen would gather his wide receivers and running backs to practice during the summer. The idea came from his offensive coordinator, Mike Martinez, who told him to focus on the “before and after” — being there for teammates between plays.
Allen took this advice to heart, often initiating extra practice sessions and staying after the unofficial practices to repeat routes. There were times when the receivers wanted to go home, but Allen would ask them to stay longer to keep working.
In the same way, Allen organized a workout in Nashville in July, as he has done before, for all the Bills receivers, running backs, and tight ends before training camp.
He continues to build relationships with his teammates today by leading and strengthening those bonds — especially in a season where many of the receivers were new faces.
This offseason, the Bills lost five of their eight captains (though safety Micah Hyde re-signed to the practice squad in December). According to coaches and teammates, Allen has stepped up his leadership this season in a way he hadn’t in his first six years in the NFL.
The two-time All-Pro has worked on becoming a more consistent and vocal leader as the team around him has changed. Now, he heads into his second AFC Championship Game on Sunday (6:30 p.m. EST, CBS), with a chance to play in his first Super Bowl.
