The Bills Mafia walked into August with one big question: Will Josh Allen take a snap in the preseason? The City of Good Neighbors has been buzzing, hoping to catch their star quarterback in action before the real games begin. But Sean McDermott recently gave his answer, and let’s just say it wasn’t the news fans were waiting for.
“I would love to, if you could put him in a bubble (and) guarantee me that he wasn’t going to get hurt,” McDermott told Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. “For every player, you’d love to be able to say, ‘Hey, let’s get out there and let’s play three good games, and we’ll ramp you up each game and so on and so forth.’ It’s just really hard to say that. So, in Josh’s case, really using practice to see where he’s at and how he feels. And I’m giving him some ownership as well, which I think is important. He knows by now what he needs in order to be ready. Then, this other piece over here is his time with healthy receivers. I think that’s probably kind of that next chapter of the book right now.”
Moral of the story: Don’t expect to see Allen until Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football. Because of that, the only real glimpse of Allen before the lights turn on will be at camp. But even that hasn’t been the confidence booster Bills Mafia hoped for. The Chicago Bears’ defense had their way with him. “Like Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen was intercepted three times by the Bears in a joint practice,” the Sun Sentinel‘s David Furones wrote on X.
Now, that sounds rough, but context matters. He wasn’t perfect, especially during the 7-on-7 period, when multiple picks piled up. Yet, nobody is panicking inside Highmark Stadium. Two of those interceptions came off tipped balls at the line, while another was a risky throw into traffic. Allen is still testing windows, still sharpening up, and that comes with mistakes.
Even with the rocky start, there were flashes that reminded everyone why Allen runs this offense. Dalton Kincaid and rookie Keon Coleman both stepped up big against Chicago’s secondary. The highlight? A perfect strike from Allen to Coleman, who torched his defender for a massive gain. Kincaid, too, shook off his slow opening to grab attention, proving Allen still trusts him heavily heading into Year 3.
Like Tua Tagovailoa, Josh Allen was intercepted three times by the Bears in a joint practice. https://t.co/Ej7yOVXmuU
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 16, 2025
So, while Allen’s preseason story won’t unfold on the field, the wait now stretches three more weeks. And although the City of Good Neighbors is always loyal, not everyone feels certain about how Allen and the Bills will look once the season begins.
Super Bowl champion has doubts about Bills and Josh Allen
So, as the 2025 season is around the corner, Josh Allen and the Bills are once again carrying sky-high expectations on their shoulders. Yet, not everyone is buying into the hype. Former Super Bowl champion Chris Canty didn’t hold back when sharing his doubts about Allen’s ability to lead Buffalo past its postseason ceiling, especially when it comes to their biggest roadblock—the Kansas City Chiefs.
Because history tells a harsh story, Canty leaned on the playoff record to make his point. Allen has yet to beat Patrick Mahomes when it matters most, standing at 0-4 in the postseason. Despite Buffalo owning the AFC East and Allen being one of the league’s most dangerous playmakers, Canty rated their chances brutally low. “What’s your confidence level Josh can take [the Bills] to the Super Bowl?” Molly Qerim asked. “Scale of 1-10, I put it at a one,” said Canty on his confidence in the Bills.
Moreover, the Chiefs’ consistency is making Buffalo’s mountain even steeper. Mahomes has played in five of the last six Super Bowls since taking over as the full-time starter in 2018. That dominance has turned Kansas City into the standard in the AFC, leaving the Bills with both a tactical puzzle and a mental block they just can’t seem to crack.
Still, Canty wasn’t questioning Allen’s skill. In fact, he praised him, saying Allen is “the most talented quarterback in the NFL, alongside Lamar Jackson,” while also calling Buffalo “the landlords of the AFC East.” But he circled back to the same point—talent isn’t enough. “In order to get to the Super Bowl out of the AFC, you’re going to have to deal with Patrick Mahomes, who has started every single year. As far as I’m concerned, in the AFC championship game since 2018, when he was the full-time starter, he has been in the NFL final four.”
So now, this season feels like a defining moment for the City of Good Neighbors. The Bills’ roster and coaching staff have everything in place to compete, but their road still runs through Arrowhead. For Allen, the challenge is clear—rewrite the script and finally take down the Chiefs. Until then, doubts like Canty’s will keep hanging over Buffalo’s Super Bowl dreams.
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