Josh Allen’s 2025 was unforgettable. He married actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld in the spring, is preparing for the birth of their first child, and now has Buffalo charging toward what he hopes will be his first Super Bowl title.
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He and Steinfeld married May 31, 2025, in a private ceremony at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, an elegant black-and-white affair with celebrity guests and a phone-free policy so everyone could be fully present. Weeks later, he spoke about how marriage had changed him.
“My wife. My wife is an unbelievable, undeniable rock star in her work, in her life as a person. She’s everything that I need in my life,” Allen told ESPN when asked what fulfilled him most. Pressed on what she had taught him about himself, he paused.
“Maybe that I am more than a football player. My whole dream as a kid has been to be in this position, and I’ve never thought of anything outside of that. I hopefully get to play this game for a very long time, but there is life after it as well.”
Steinfeld has been a constant cheerleader for Allen, though last week she missed the Jacksonville game while attending the Golden Globes to promote Sinners. Showing her baby bump in a peach gown, she walked the red carpet without Allen, who cheered from afar and posted her photo on Instagram with supportive emojis.
At a recent press conference, Allen called the wedding the highlight of his year. “None other than marrying my best friend,” he said. “She makes everything easier. I don’t really focus on the other stuff. That was the most important decision I’ll make in my life, and I made the right one.”
The reigning MVP looked every bit the franchise cornerstone in Sunday’s 27-24 wild-card win over Jacksonville, carrying the Bills to their first road playoff victory in more than three decades.
Allen took a pounding and dished it right back, doing what Buffalo fans have come to expect. With linebacker Devin Lloyd closing in late, he fired a 36-yard strike to Brandin Cooks just before the two-minute warning and later powered in a one-yard touchdown run after the Jaguars opted to let him score. One play earlier, he converted a fourth-down sneak, refusing to go down while defenders pushed and pulled him toward the goal line.
The victory pushed Buffalo to 13-5 and set up a trip to top-seeded Denver on Saturday, giving the franchise a chance to build a road postseason streak after years of frustration. Allen completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown, ran for two scores, avoided turnovers, and was sacked just once. Khalil Shakir caught 12 passes for 82 yards as Allen neutralized Jacksonville’s pass rush with quick decisions.
“We’re going to play for each other, we’re gonna fight to the very last second, and you saw that here today,” Allen said after the game.
The performance was vintage grit. He visited the medical tent twice in the first half after absorbing heavy hits, even appearing to have blood near his left ear, yet he never missed a snap. His left leg bent awkwardly on one score, and he slammed his hand on a helmet after another throw, but the 6-foot-5 quarterback kept returning to make plays.
Jacksonville had one final chance, but Trevor Lawrence’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Cole Bishop to seal it. The win snapped Buffalo’s 0-5 road playoff record under McDermott and ended an eight-game skid dating back to 1992.
With stability at home and confidence soaring on the field, Allen believes the Bills are built for more. “Feels good,” he said after the win. “At the same time, it just means we get another game.”
