When you have a quarterback on your team like Josh Allen, there should be no debate that he is near or at the top of every list/power ranking. Allen is the reigning MVP and should be at the top of the board as the best player in the NFL heading into the 2025 season.
What makes Allen so dangerous himself is that he had fantastic production without a true star player around him last season. While James Cook is a solid running back (and deserves to get paid by the Bills), he’s not the star in Buffalo like Allen is. Allen is now the type of player that elevates players around, not the other way around.
Even though Allen is a superstar and deserves the respect that he has earned, there are times when his superstar status isn’t recognized like it should be. Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus (PFF) listed the top QB-WR/TE duos heading into the 2025 season and surprisingly, Sikkema has the duo of Josh Allen and Khalil Shakir at No. 18, which is just one spot ahead of J.J. McCarthy and Justin Jefferson.
You read that right. PFF put Allen just one spot ahead of McCarthy who has yet to play a down in the NFL. Here is a bit of what Sikkema said about Allen and Shakir on this list:
"The Bills’ passing offense is more by committee, but Shakir seems to lead the group with the highest threat rate (target rate on routes run) and most targets in 2024. Though their average target depth as a duo is on the lower side, at 6.1 yards over the past two seasons, Allen and Shakir have ideal efficiency scores with the highest completion rate (83.6%) on this list and no turnover-worthy plays."Trevor Sikkema, PFF
Josh Allen and Khalil Shakir are a better duo than this ranking shows
Anyone who has watched the Bills play knows that Shakir is Allen’s go-to guy in the offense, despite it being an “everybody eats” offense. Shakir had 100 passes thrown his way and he caught 76 passes which marks the second consecutive season where he had a 75% or higher catch success (86.7% success in 2023 per Pro Football Reference).
Shakir was responsible for 35 first downs for the Bills last season, which is no surprise. He is a fantastic slot receiver who can get that extra step ahead of a defender to create some separation. It’s no wonder why he didn’t just get a contract extension, he was the first one of the Bills’ 2022 draft class to receive an extension.
Allen and Shakir deserve to be higher on this list and if they pick up where they left off last season, they will be a top duo this season.