Jason Kelce, the retired Philadelphia Eagles center, has always held a soft spot for Buffalo. He once jumped out of the Kansas City Chiefs suite – shirtless – to be one with the Bills Mafia at Highmark Stadium in January 2024. He wanted to jump through a tailgate table, too, but never found one. The next season, he showed up at a MetLife tailgate for a Bills away game dressed as Fred Flintstone, taking Gatorade shots out of a bowling bowl. But what drives this passion isn’t just the fans but their quarterback, Josh Allen.

“If there’s a tier of guys that I want to watch play every week, Josh Allen is absolutely in that tier,” Kelce admitted on The Centered on Buffalo Podcast. “And he’s just so dynamic. He’s operating the offense, but at all times it feels like he’s able to have that improvising ability and extend plays and make these magical things happen, which I think is really what it comes down to – you like watching quarterbacks operate and throw perfect balls.”

“But the stuff that really becomes exciting is when they’re doing that,” he continued, “plus leaving the pocket, plus extending plays, plus running guys over, like there’s nothing more exciting for an offensive lineman when a quarterback lowers his shoulder, and you’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I am fighting for this dude today.”

Allen’s dual-threat play style specializes in running through contact. In 2025, he ran for 579 yards and 14 touchdowns despite running into constant pressure. He broke tackles on key runs, including a 17-yard game-winning break against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14 last season. Most quarterbacks lower their shoulder against the defenders to concede the play; Allen lowers it to crush and plough through defenders. That’s what Kelce calls unmatched.

A different example of this improvisation came in the 2021 Wild Card game against the Indianapolis Colts. On a 2nd-and-goal, with 1:50 left in the first quarter, Allen tucked the ball and appeared to be on a QB run. But as the defenders converged on him, he threw the ball to Dawson Knox while falling to the ground. That first Buffalo touchdown of the game came through pure improvisation under duress.

Last season, Josh Allen’s 79 career rushing touchdowns broke Cam Newton’s record. Across eight NFL seasons, Allen has gained 4,721 yards on the ground and also logged 9 solo tackles. Allen’s always running through instead of running away, and Kelce has seen this man in action for quite some time now.

Before Buffalo’s January 2025 AFC Championship game, Kelce called Josh someone he “used to dream of being like in the NFL.” He also commended how Allen’s leadership had transformed the Bills. But it’s not all compliments either. After Allen missed that 2-point conversion throw to Khalil Shakir in Week 17 last season, Kelce called him out for rushing the throw and blowing the game.

Josh Allen’s never been to a Super Bowl. He’s lost the playoffs seven years in a row, even with the team building around him. Jason Kelce, with the Eagles, retired with seven Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl ring. If Kelce had lined up at center to fight for Allen, would Buffalo have broken through at least once these last seven years? Allen’s shoulder dip says yes.