Josh Allen is arguably a top-3 quarterback in the NFL right now. But without a Super Bowl to his name, the Buffalo Bills star leaves fans’ opinions divided. Josh Allen is one of the leading favorites for NFL MVP in 2026GettyThe two-time All Pro has gotten off to an electric start to the 2026 NFL regular season, with the Bills having an undefeated 2-0 record entering Week 3 as Allen has already thrown for five passing touchdowns to zero interceptions. A dual-threat quarterback, Allen has also already run into the end zone on four occasions and is well on pace to surpass his career-high of 15 rushing touchdowns scored back in the 2023 campaign. But unlike Patrick Mahomes, who has three Super Bowl titles to his name and is currently ranked as talkSPORT’s best signal caller in 2026, Allen has been unable to lead the Bills past the AFC Championship game in the first nine seasons of his pro football career. Even though the Chiefs failed to qualify for the post-season last season, the Bills were unable to get past an injured Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the 2025 playoffs – which was arguably their best opportunity to finally make the Big Game. This had some questioning whether Allen – who signed a $330 million extension last year – will ever be able to lead Buffalo to a Super Bowl, with their last appearance coming back in 1993. But NBC analyst Mike Tomlin jumped to the 30-year-old’s defense, comparing the narrative around Allen to how fans sounded off about Peyton Manning in the earlier years of his career. Mike Tomlin defends Allen against critics“That’s that narrative game that’s played from time to time, and my response to somebody is just, ‘keep watching,'” Tomlin told fellow NBC analyst Chris Simms. “He’s writing that story. Man, we’re at the tip-top of the food chain. Everybody doesn’t get the win. It is hard in this business. He’s in the midst of writing his story. “I remember when people used to say that about Peyton Manning a generation ago, until he got it done. “He had some real combat in an effort to get that done. He was competing against a guy named Tom Brady and some other dudes [like] Drew Brees, who were also winning championships.”The former Steelers head coach jumped to the defense of Josh AllenGettyPeyton Manning had to compete with Tom Brady to get his hands on the Super BowlGettyManning needed eight seasons to get his hands on his first Lombardi Trophy, and had to wait a further nine seasons to get his second, doing so in the final season of what was a Hall of Fame career. But the Indianapolis Colts legend was in the same generation as some of the greatest quarterbacks to have ever graced the NFL. We’re talking the likes of Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, and Brady who was under center of a New England Patriots side under Bill Belichick which is still arguably the greatest dynasty ever assembled. In the modern-day NFL, Tomlin argues the same is happening to Allen. “The same thing is going on with this guy,” Tomlin added of Allen. “This guy is competing against Patrick Mahomes and Matt Stafford and people like that who are also in the process of building Hall of Fame resumés and winning championships.“What we see from him, and what we’ve seen from him to this point, is what he is and it’s only a matter of time. “It’s not possible, it’s probable. Just competing against him and feeling that competitive spirit in the weighty moments. – he is a monster.”Could 2026 finally be the year that Allen bolsters his legacy? Perhaps. But the season is still so young, and there is a lot of football to be played yet. Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.