Bills' Sean McDermott: Josh Allen Taking So Many Hits 'Not a Healthy Way to Play QB'

Josh Allen's punishing running style has undoubtedly been effective, but Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott questioned whether it can be sustainable for the star quarterback over the long haul.

"I don't think that's a healthy way to play QB in this league and it's undefeated that things are going to happen when you play that style, brand of football," McDermott told NFL.com's, Judy Battista.

Allen has run for 3,087 yards and 38 touchdowns through five years. He's also averaging 5.7 yards per carry.

When he tucks the ball and exits the pocket, the 26-year-old is willing to fight for every yard and won't hesitate to go through — or on occasion over — a defender.

Allen's 6'5", 237-pound frame helps him absorb a lot of punishment he takes during the course of a game. But McDermott's general concerns aren't unfounded, and it's something Allen has acknowledged.

"I think I can be better in that aspect," he told reporters in September about better protecting himself as a ball-carrier. "But given the circumstances of what it was, understanding the flow of the game — I do things sometimes that are necessary in my eyes to help our team win a football game. That's all it is. But at the end of the day, availability is the best ability."

Cam Newton, to whom Allen has been compared for years, provides the perfect case study.

Through his first five years, Newton was a three-time Pro Bowler and a league MVP who threw for 18,263 yards and ran for 3,207 yards. His status as an elite quarterback was unquestioned.

The 33-year-old never rediscovered the heights he enjoyed in 2015, though, and now his days as a starter could be over altogether. He remains unsigned ahead of the 2023 season after the excitement from his Carolina homecoming quickly dissipated.

Given both his age and the longevity of top quarterbacks, you'd expect Allen to have plenty of good years ahead. However, failing to adapt as a runner could alter that trajectory.