When you're the best in the league at playing the quarterback position, you're going to have just about every other quarterback trying to emulate what you do in one way or another. Even other quarterbacks that might be considered "elite" around the league.
Buffalo Bills quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen is good at his job. Maybe too good. He's the definition of a "cheat code" at the quarterback position with his combination of arm talent, football IQ, and athleticism. The Bills are never at a disadvantage when Allen is on the field, even in stretches where he's struggled with turning the ball over.
He always finds a way to make enough plays to keep them in games, and then some.
Of course, other quarterbacks around the league are going to see the way Allen has become such a well-rounded five-tool type of player, if you will, and want a piece of it. Allen's abilities may be inadvertently helping one of their potential playoff foes in 2025, the Los Angeles Chargers. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has taken note of one part of Allen's game that he hopes to add to his repertoire in 2025.
Justin Herbert stealing from Josh Allen's playbook in 2025
Justin Herbert this morning on the Dan Patrick Show:
— Ryan DePaul (@RyanDePaul) July 31, 2025
"What I respect about him [Josh Allen] is he's able to run power between the tackles. He's able to take the hits and deliver the hits." Herbert then went on to say he wants to do more of that in the offense this season... 👀
Justin Herbert is a big dude at 6-foot-6, but Josh Allen is more than just a big guy -- he's a rare breed. Not many quarterbacks can withstand the physical beating it takes to be as physical as Allen has been throughout the course of his NFL career as a runner, where he's run for over 4,100 yards and 65 touchdowns, including a whopping 27 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons.
As good of a runner as he has been since he got to the NFL, Allen has taken it up a notch over the last two seasons which has arguably been one of the biggest keys to unlocking his overall game as a passer. Defenses have to play him different when he's such a threat on the ground, and the Bills have shown absolutely no signs of asking him to slow it down as a runner.
Allen has at least 52 rushing first downs in each of the last four seasons. He's been such a dynamic threat in that area of his game that it's not shocking for an athletic freak like Herbert to be thinking about adding that to his game in 2025. With five rushing touchdowns over the last two seasons combined, we've seen a bit more of Herbert's game as a runner unlocked, but not much.
If that's a wrinkle he can add into the mix this coming season, it's potentially something for the Bills to monitor as the Chargers were in the playoffs last year and can reasonably be expected to be better this coming season, especially if Herbert's game evolves.
If the Chargers become a problem for the Bills in the playoffs, they might have Josh Allen to thank for it.