Tell me if you’ve heard this story before: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was just wildly disrespected on the national stage. Ever since he arrived in the league, people have been writing him off, and it continues deep into No. 17’s career.
This time, it was none other than Bleacher Report throwing some shade at the superstar quarterback. The company released its top 100 quarterbacks in NFL history, with Allen falling all the way to No. 35. It’s not necessarily the placement of Allen that the disrespect came from, but those ahead of him who don’t seem as deserving.
No disrespect to anyone on the list above Allen, but there are more than a handful of head scratchers.
Now, there was some kindness shown to Allen in the reasoning behind the decision. Bleacher Report highlighted his dual-threat capabilities and how he’s been able to transform himself into a more efficient passer. Even going as far as to say he’s going to be a future Hall of Famer.
“Though Allen has yet to earn an All-Pro nod, he’s a four-time Pro Bowler with gaudy numbers in those standout campaigns. He also won the 2024 MVP award in a year when he finished with a league-leading 74.8 QBR.
“Allen’s performances aren’t all flash and highlights, though. He’s become a more efficient passer, with a declining interception rate and rising completion percentage. The eighth-year veteran completed a career-high 69.3 percent of his passes in 2025.
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“If Allen’s body holds up, he’s on track to be a Hall of Famer.” — BR NFL Staff
Josh Allen was wildly disrespected in Bleacher Report’s Top-99 quarterbacks
That’s where the respect ended, and the disrespect started to take shape when you look at the other players ahead of him. It’s important to note that Allen was previously ranked No. 20, but fell to No. 35 in the standings.
First and foremost, how on God’s green earth did former New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath get ahead of Allen on this ranking? In terms of quarterback play, Allen runs circles around the Hall of Fame quarterback. It was just the first dose of disrespect on the list.
Perhaps an even bigger indictment is where his former 2018 NFL Draft counterpart landed on the list. Lamar Jackson from the Baltimore Ravens came in at No. 28. Again, no disrespect to Jackson, but what exactly has he done better than Allen in his career outside of missing the playoffs more and losing to the Bills on more than one occasion in the postseason?
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Lamar Jackson lands ahead of Josh Allen in Bleacher Report’s rankings
Even in its reasoning between Allen and Jackson, Allen is a future Hall of Fame quarterback, while they say that Jackson is building a Hall of Fame resume, seemingly contradicting themselves with their rankings.
“Despite all the accolades and eye-popping statistics, he has drawn criticism for his underwhelming postseason performances. He did show improvement in his last two outings, throwing for four touchdowns and just one interception and rushing for 120 yards on 21 carries. He completed at least 72 percent of his passes in both games.
“Action Jackson is still a peak performer who’s building a Hall of Fame resume.” — BR NFL Staff
And that’s what makes this whole thing so baffling.
Bleacher Report admits Allen is on a Hall of Fame trajectory. They acknowledge his MVP. They highlight his efficiency. They praise his evolution as a passer. And yet somehow, he slides 15 spots and sits behind quarterbacks whose resumes simply don’t stack up the same way in today’s NFL.
At some point, it stops being about rankings and starts being about narrative.
Allen has carried the Bills to consistent contention. He’s elevated rosters, erased deficits, and delivered in the biggest moments. His postseason resume stacks up. His regular-season dominance is undeniable. And unlike some of the names ahead of him, he’s still in the middle of his prime.
If this is what “No. 35 all-time” looks like, Bills Mafia will take it. Because if Allen’s body holds up as Bleacher Report suggests, this won’t age well. And when his career is all said and done, we won’t be debating whether he belonged at 35.
We’ll be debating how high inside the top 10 he should’ve been all along.
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.