Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills failed to capitalize on a depleted AFC this past NFL season, getting bounced out of the playoffs in the divisional round by the Denver Broncos. Despite the team’s shortcomings, Allen had a stellar individual season. The 29-year-old quarterback threw for 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns, while rushing for 579 yards and 14 scores on the. ground.
With NFL free agency in full swing, the Bills have been extremely active. They brought back veteran tight end Dawson Knox, who has been with the team for seven years, added Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb, and also inked a three-year deal with corner Dee Winters.
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With Allen recovering from foot surgery, the team also bolstered the quarterback room by bringing back Shane Buechele, and signing a longtime journeyman in Kyle Allen.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) looks on as he walks off the field after a game against the Miami Dolphins.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
(Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
In what was meant to be more of an informative announcement about the numbers of the new Bills players, the team may have given Josh Allen fans across the world a mini heart attack. In a post shared to X, the team revealed that Kyle Allen will be wearing No. 11, which will be the sixth different number of his career.
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However, in sharing a picture of his jersey, they didn’t include any indication that it was Kyle Allen and not Josh, leading to fans speculating that the team’s starting quarterback switched from his iconic No. 17.
“Why did Josh change is number,” questioned one fan.
“that’s a different Allen right????,” said another.
“just bought Allen 17, why did he change number,” wrote a third.
“I love all the comments thinking that Josh changed his number from 17. He did not, #11 is for Kyle Allen, the backup QB they recently signed,” added another.
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“lol yall thought yall had to buy a New Jersey lol,” joked another.
The only thing you may notice about Josh Allen is that he is becoming a dad sometime this month. Other than that, the former MVP quarterback will not be buying all of his No. 17 jerseys back to make a change.
Related: Ranking the 50 Best NFL Free Agents on the Market
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.