Josh Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, has reportedly been “implored by (general manager Brandon) Beane and (head coach Sean) McDermott to coax an executive demeanor” going into the upcoming season, according to Tim Graham of The Athletic. Pegula does not provide a lengthy comment, but Graham claims Allen faced internal criticism for not taking a more proactive leadership role in the previous year.
This begs the issue of whether Pegula is genuinely concerned about Allen’s leadership style, or if this is merely a way to accept the fact that Allen is now one of the elder players in the locker room and that, for the first time in four years, the team looks different.
Although Allen is perceived as a “guys guy,” this has never seemed to be detrimental to the team’s performance. If anything, Buffalo’s four consecutive division titles have been greatly aided by it. Graham conjectures that Buffalo’s 5-5 record through 10 games last season was partially due to Allen’s leadership style, but he seems to be ignoring the whole context of those 10 games and the team’s reaction to the sacking of their offensive coordinator. Actually, according to EPA, Allen did better before Ken Dorsey was fired than he did afterwards, and the squad triumphed six times in seven games despite a piece that went viral criticizing Sean Mcdermott’s management.
This article mentions wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ mysterious online conduct and the team’s desire for a quarterback who isn’t as much of a “aw-shucks” people-pleaser as Graham suggests, but it leaves out all of that background information.
This article expresses reservations about Allen’s leadership style from within One Bills Drive, however all of the players’ opinions seem to center on replacing the captains who have left, not on altering Allen’s style of leadership. Graham repurposes an April Allen comment about accepting being more than simply “one of the guys” and cites veteran tight end Dawson Knox and cornerback Christian Benford on their perspectives on “stepping up.” Allen made this comment shortly after the Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston.
For the first time since 2018, all three of them are aware of the significant changes that have occurred within the team. Terry Pegula seems to be drawing on this insight when she requests that Allen display a “executive demeanor.”
The franchise’s quarter-billion dollar quarterback should take the lead in ensuring the team is ready, as there is a new guard at One Bills Drive. Nevertheless, there is seldom anything that suggests Allen’s leadership was lacking during his time in office.
“Executive” doesn’t necessarily imply authoritative; rather, it simply means Allen must take on greater accountability for a new team and guide these new additions so they can give their best efforts on Sundays.