Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen records 5th-consecutive season with 40 touchdowns

Yet another, “Josh Allen is the first player in NFL history” conversation.

Josh Allen just scored his 40th touchdown of the 2024 NFL season. It should come as no surprise since it’s the fifth-consecutive season the Buffalo Bills quarterback has put the football in the end zone at least 40 times.

Allen is the only quarterback to have five back-to-back seasons with 40 or more scores. He’s also the only quarterback to have done it four times. In fact, only one player in history – Drew Brees – has three consecutive seasons (2011, 2012, 20013). Tom Brady had back-to-back seasons (2020, 2021) with 40-plus touchdowns, and Aaron Rodgers accomplished the feat twice – first in the 2011, 2012 seasons and then again in the 2020, 2021 seasons.

As for Allen, his versatility is definitely something that helps him get the ball into the end zone more than anyone else. This season, he has 27 touchdowns through the air, plus another 12 on the ground, and, of course, he has that one receiving touchdown when Amari Cooper tossed the ball back to him as the Bills beat the San Francisco 49ers in a crazy, snow-filled Highmark Stadium back in Week 13.

In 2020, Allen’s first season with more than 40 touchdowns, the Buffalo Bills quarterback had his first career receiving touchdown and added eight rushing scores to his 37 passing TDs for a total of 46. In 2021, Allen slowed down a little getting 42 scores (36 passing and 6 rushing) and matched that total again in 2022 with 35 passing and seven rushing touchdowns. Last season, Allen used his legs to record the second most rushing touchdowns in franchise history (15) and then added 29 passing TDs to get to 44 total scores.

Now, here he is again, the topic of another “Never before in NFL history” conversation. This time he did it with a roster that was thought by many to be far inferior to any he has played with before – a roster that didn’t have a true wide receiver 1, no deep threat, no blazing speed. Yet, Allen has found a league leading 13 different targets in the end zone – including himself. And, yes, he has used his legs to power the ball across the goal line 12 times – including a 21-yard run against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10 and then besting that with a 26-yard run and score against the Kansas City Chiefs the following week – but Allen hasn’t been a ball-hog when it comes to rushing scores. He’s scored his 12 touchdowns alongside running back James Cook who leads the team with 14 rushing scores and Ty Johnson (1) and Ray Davis (3).

Josh Allen is the first quarterback ever to score 40 touchdowns in five consecutive seasons. That’s a record that is going to take at least five years to break. Unless he does it himself next season – which is very likely, because Buffalo’s offense is showing no signs of slowing down, and offensive coordinator Joe Brady’s method of spreading the ball around has only made them that much more dangerous. Expect plenty more of the “Josh Allen is the first player in NFL history” conversations.