Josh Allen is easily one of the fiercest quarterbacks with a competitive spirit that goes well with the Buffalo Bills. However, more recent headlines called attention to his reputation as a notorious trash talker. In a poll conducted by ESPN for the biggest trash-talking QB in the NFL, Allen found himself at the top. But the QB believes that he has notably dialed down his verbal jabs in recent years.
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In an interview with ‘Scoop City,’ Allen told Diana Russini that if someone had called him a trash talker two years ago, he would have fully agreed. However, that’s no longer the case, and the quarterback now intends to focus solely on playing football.
“If you would’ve asked me in my first two years, I would’ve said absolutely,” Allen admitted. “But I feel like I haven’t talked all that much the last couple years. I’ve just tried to focus on playing football.”
He went on to explain that while his words may have ruffled a few feathers, it’s never been his intent to disrupt his opponents mentally. “I’m just a very competitive guy, and I’m going to have my teammates’ back at the end of the day. Maybe that’s what they take for trash-talking, but that’s not my game,” he continued.
While the QB now focuses on self-improvement, Allen still recalls a thing or two about trash-talking the opposing defense.
Allen’s ‘go-to line’ for his opponents
In the early days of his career, Allen apparently had a signature trash-talk line that he believed could really cut deep. “Turn around, let me see your name,” Allen recalled, noting that he hadn’t used it in a long time.
Even Russini was impressed by this, as she added, “That one cuts deep because it makes every human being go, ‘Wow, do people really not know who I am?’”
However, Allen has since toned down the trash talk, now opting to be nice to the opposing defense—and rightfully so. “Maybe this is just based on the reputation from the first couple of years because I feel like I try to be nice to the defense now so they don’t hit me as hard,” he explained.
While it’s hard to believe that someone could actually tone down the trash talk given the intensity of NFL games, there are a few instances that show Allen is walking the walk.
As the Bills were eliminated by the Chiefs in the divisional round in 2023, Allen maintained his zen mode and accepted the defeat with poise. Even his spat with Patrick Mahomes during a 20-17 win for the Bills in the regular season didn’t ruffle his composure.
