WATCH: Josh Allen brawls with teammate as things go south in Bills training camp
The Buffalo Bills, along with Josh Allen, are on the cusp of greatness. They've been playoff contenders for a few years now and were one of the top picks for the Super Bowl last year.
They know how close they are and the intensity that it requires. NFL players love to compete, especially when something big is at stake.
That seems to be what happened in Buffalo on July 30, Saturday, as quarterback Josh Allen got into a fight with defender Jordan Phillips.
Josh Allen and Jordan Phillips scuffle at practice #BillsMafia
Video from @Constantine824 https://t.co/dKlXAQXBk1
Allen ran a QB draw and was knocked around a bit by defensive tackle Phillips. The quarterback took issue with it, threw the ball, and pushed Phillips. The brawl ensued from there, though it was fairly shortlived.
Thad Brown, who covers the team, described it in more detail:
Josh Allen and Jordan Phillips get into a fight.
Allen ran QB draw at the goal line. Phillips thumped him a bit as Allen headed for the goal line. Allen was irate.
It was on the right shoulder, but I thought Phillips was fine and Allen overreacted.
That play ends practice.
#Bills
The scuffle lasted a few seconds and practice was called as a result. To many, it seemed as if Allen overreacted, but it's probably a good idea to stay away from hitting one's own star quarterback in training camp.
Training camp injuries can derail even the best team's chances. A playoff hopeful that suffers a devastating loss in training camp is often never the same.
If the idea of a top-tier quarterback scuffling with a defender is familiar, that's because it's happened before. In 2015, the Carolina Panthers had a similar incident.
Cam Newton got into a brawl with cornerback Josh Norman. The Panthers went on to go 15-1 and lose in the Super Bowl. Cam Newton won MVP and Josh Norman played at an All-Pro level for the only time in his career.
Bills fans would love for their quarterback to win MVP and for Phillips to turn in an All-Pro season, but they'd probably prefer to avoid the rest of the Panthers' fate, including their slide into irrelevancy.
Can Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen win MVP?
According to Vegas, the idea of Josh Allen turning in an MVP-level season is not impossible. In fact, it's very probable. He was listed as the early odds-on favorite:
- Josh Allen +700
- Patrick Mahomes +800
- Tom Brady +900
- Aaron Rodgers +1000
- Justin Herbert +1000
- Joe Burrow +1300
- Russell Wilson +1600
- Matthew Stafford +1600
- Dak Prescott +1600
- Lamar Jackson +2000
- Kyler Murray +2200
- Deshaun Watson +2500
- Jalen Hurts +3000
The Bills star has a better shot than Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Justin Herbert. Will this scuffle push him into elite territory and the team with him? Only time will tell.