Ranking Josh Allen Among the Five Best Buffalo Bills QBs of All Time

The Buffalo Bills' franchise quarterback is off to another torrid start this season, positioning himself as the clear-cut MVP favorite as he dominates the league with both his arm and legs.

The 30-year-old Allen still has plenty of unfinished business as he shapes his legacy, but is he already the best Bills quarterback of all time? Let's check in on where the franchise's all-time top five stands today.

In a Nutshell: Franchise anchor for a 12-year run spanning 163 starts during the 'Electric Company' era.

The Case: Though never a star, Ferguson helped pull a moribund franchise out of the cellar, starting his career with three straight winning seasons and later piloting back-to-back playoff berths under Chuck Knox in 1980 and 1981. Along the way, he tied for the NFL lead in passing touchdowns in 1975 (25), led the league in passing yards in 1977 (2,803) and co-led the NFL in game-winning drives in both 1974 and 1980.

The Catch: Zero All-Pro or Pro Bowl nods hold him back, as does the notion that he benefited significantly from playing with a legendary offensive line and running game, yet still didn't win much or earn great rate-based numbers.

In a Nutshell: Four-time Pro Bowler who spent three seasons with Buffalo in the latter part of a memorable career.

The Case: Bledsoe provided an immediate jolt to a franchise coming off a 3-13 disaster in 2001. His 4,359-yard debut in 2002 set a single-season franchise record that stood for nearly two decades, fueling an offense that cleared 30 points in six of its first 12 games and keeping Buffalo competitive throughout his three-year stay.

The Catch: It was indeed only a three-year tenure that ultimately involved no playoff success. The magic faded away to an extent after that unforgettable initial heater.

In a Nutshell: Six-time AFL All-Star with Buffalo, who was one of the faces of the franchise during its true glory days in the 1960s.

The Case: Kemp is the only quarterback to deliver league championships to Buffalo, winning back-to-back AFL titles in 1964 and 1965 while capturing AFL Player of the Year honors in '65. He posted a 43-31-3 record under center, averaged a massive 8.5 yards per attempt in 1964 and remains third in team history in passing yards.

The Catch: Even in that era of awful efficiency numbers, a 55.8 passer rating and a 77-to-132 touchdown-to-interception ratio are pretty damn ugly.

In a Nutshell: Five-time Pro Bowler who started 160 games over the course of an 11-year career with Buffalo.

The Case: The maestro behind the revolutionary no-huddle "K-Gun" offense, Kelly remains the only quarterback in NFL history to pilot his team to four consecutive Super Bowls. He posted the league's top passer rating in 1990 (101.2), earned First-Team All-Pro honors while finishing as the MVP runner-up in 1991. He remains Buffalo's all-time leader in both passing yardage (35,467) and passing touchdowns (237).

The Catch: He lost every one of those Super Bowls, while having a mere 72.3 career playoff passer rating.

In a Nutshell: Four-time Pro Bowler in his ninth season with the Bills.

The Case: Allen captured his first MVP in 2024 and is the favorite to win MVP again in 2026. Pro Football Reference's Approximate Value metric rates him as the single most valuable player in football since 2020. Backed by ironclad durability—he hasn't missed a start since his rookie year—Allen has delivered five division titles in the last six years and has rushed for more touchdowns than any quarterback in NFL history.

The Catch: Despite all that, the 30-year-old still hasn't led the Bills to a Super Bowl.