Josh Allen heaps high praise on Matthew Stafford, says he does this one thing better than any QB ever

Oct 13, 2026 at 12:34 pm ET • 2 min read

An iconic scene unfolded before the Bills' dramatic overtime win over the Rams on Monday night. Prior to the start of overtime, Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen, two of the best quarterbacks of this era, faced each other at midfield. It conjured up memories of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who faced each other numerous times during their decorated careers. 

After the game, Allen opened up about his admiration for Stafford, whose stature as an all-time great has grown in recent years. In fact, Allen said that Stafford does one thing better than any quarterback in history. 

"I've got an unbelievable amount of respect for Matthew," Allen told ESPN afterward. "The way he plays the game, the way he's always played it. He's as tough as they come. 

"If he's not the greatest thrower of the football of all time, I don't know who is. He spins it. He's a competitor. He's a guy who every quarterback should strive to be like." 

The unofficial "greatest thrower of the football" title has often been given to Aaron Rodgers, who has continued to display his legendary throwing touch during his age-42 season. Brady has routinely called Rodgers the best thrower of the football in NFL history. 

"I think there's no greater passer of the football than Aaron Rodgers," Brady said earlier this year. "I mean there's certain people and you're like 'Holy.' You see everyone do it and then you see one person throw the ball that much better. Aaron Rodgers was incredible." 

It's possible that Rodgers crossed Allen's mind prior to his postgame press conference. Allen slightly adjusted his response when he was asked about Stafford again. 

"In my opinion, if he's not the greatest thrower of the football, he's No. 2," he said.   

Regardless of where he ranks, Stafford's status as an all-time great is no longer a debate. He validated his greatness with a Super Bowl win in 2021, and last year, he became the oldest league MVP in history. 

While the Rams' season has been disappointing so far, the 38-year-old Stafford continues to play at a high level. He currently leads the NFL in attempts, completions and passing yards. Against the Bills, Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns and completed a whopping 74.1% of his passes. 

As great as Stafford was, he couldn't outduel Allen, the 2024 league MVP and current front-runner to win the award again. While he attempted 35 fewer passes and threw for 173 fewer yards than Stafford, Allen was unstoppable on the ground with 121 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries. He currently leads the NFL with eight rushing touchdowns. 

Allen's rushing is what separates him from most other elite quarterbacks, both past and present. He's 16th all-time with 87 touchdown runs and is three away from tying Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson and Curtis Martin. 

Stafford may be the greatest passer in the game, but Allen is firmly in the conversation as one of the greatest running quarterbacks in history.