Bills' Josh Allen Aims to Take Fewer Hits, 'Eventually My Game Will Have to Evolve'

Buffalo Bills quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated that he feels sack avoidance will be key to extending his longevity as one of the league's top quarterbacks.

"I think about it a lot; eventually my game will have to evolve," Allen told Breer. "And I think last year was a step in the right direction, where I didn't take too many hits. I'm not saying I didn't take any. But during this offseason? This is the best I've felt after any season because I didn't take hits."

Allen continued, "But again, it's just being smarter, sliding, getting out of bounds, and throwing the ball away a little bit quicker and not taking these extra one or two hits a game that start adding up."

The quarterback's sacks total has been steadily declining over the last three seasons, going from 33 during the 2022 campaign and 24 during the 2023 season to a career-low 14 sacks in 2024.

That 2024 total, which marked the fewest sacks allowed by any team since 2009, included just one sack over the last six games of the season.

Allen headed into the AFC Championship game having allowed a sack, fumble or interception on just 4.2 percent of plays, marking the lowest percentage in modern NFL history, according to NFL on CBS.

An increasing focus on sack avoidance apparently isn't the only change Allen is making to his game this offseason while heading into his eighth NFL season.

The quarterback, who turned 29 in May, took no preseason reps for the first time in his career this August. Head coach Sean McDermott said the decision to sideline Allen during the preseason was made in order to "protect him and in doing so, protect our team."

Allen led the Bills as far as the AFC Championship Game with his MVP campaign in 2024. It looks like both he and the Bills are focused on keeping their star quarterback healthy in order to take one step further and make it to Super Bowl LX.