The quarterback debate in the NFL never really ends—it just finds new battlegrounds. Some players cement their greatness with Super Bowl wins, others with individual brilliance. But true validation? That’s trickier. It’s not just about trophies or stats; it’s about public perception, about being universally recognized as the best. And sometimes, all it takes is one comment to shift the conversation.

That’s exactly what happened when Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott took the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. With Josh Allen fresh off an MVP season and Jalen Hurts basking in Super Bowl glory, McDermott didn’t just praise his quarterback—he seemed to draw a line in the sand. In doing so, he might have unintentionally ignited a fresh round of debate over who deserves the spotlight more.

While talking about Allen’s upward trajectory, the Bills’ HC also took shots at the Eagles QB. He said, “The way he’s played on the field this season, the way he’s matured off the field, on the field, his decision making and how that’s improved. So all these areas that were perceived, call it, gaps, Josh has answered those gaps, and he’s closed those gaps. And when you do that at the level that he did it at on a consistent basis, the result was the MVP and so to me, as I said during the year later in the year in particular, he deserved that, every bit of that of that award.“

Although the Eagles QB took home the Super Bowl MVP, did he really have a season that bad that he was not even part of the top-10 MVP voting results for the 2024 season? Let’s do a quick regular season comparison between the two that McDermott discussed and if things actually went wrong for Hurts during the last season.

Josh Allen played all 17 games and recorded 307 of 483 (63.7% completion rate) for 3,731 passing yards with 28 TDs and 6 interceptions. Jalen Hurts played only 15 games and had 248 of 361 passes (68.7% completion rate) with  18 TDs and 5 interceptions. So, Allen had 10 more TDs. But let’s not forget their dual-threat ability as a rusher too. Allen had 12 TDs from 531 rushing yards while Hurts had 14 TDs from 630 rushing yards.

Jalen Hurts, though, had plenty of support from all other departments. In 2024, their HC Nick Sirianni brought in players that played a crucial role. RB Saquon Barkley is an existential threat while Cooper DeJean sent shockwaves into the Chiefs Kingdom with his pick-six in Super Bowl LIX. So, did the Bills HC mean to say that Allen was better than Hurts?

Well, not directly. McDermott took aim at one of the league’s most controversial plays—the Eagles’ infamous tush push. As talks heat up about a potential ban, his comments hinted at a divide in the league: is this about player safety or about stopping a dominant team from exploiting an unstoppable weapon? The NFL is listening in, seriously.

Sean McDermott comments on potential tush push ban

With whispers of a ban turning into roars, the Bills HC revealed his stance on the tush push play. The reason being cited is the play is often dangerous for the signal callers. Most players and coaches are happy. Especially those not named the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s proven dangerous to their chances of winning the game against those named as such too.

In 2024, the Eagles turned the tush push into an art form, nailing 28 of 34 attempts. But Jalen Hurts? He took it a step further. On third- or fourth-and-1, or any attempt from the 1-yard line, he converted 35 of 43 times—nearly automatic. And in the biggest game of the year, it set the tone. That signature push got the Eagles on the board first in Super Bowl LIX, cracking open the floodgates for a 7-0 lead against the Chiefs.

While talking about it, Sean McDermott said, “It’s just that play to me has always been the way that the techniques that are used. That play to me has been potentially contrary to the health and safety of the players. And so, again, you have to go back though in fairness to the to the injury data on the play. But I just think it the optics of it, I’m not in love with.“

The Packers proposed the change. And the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is seriously considering the changes in the rule. The thumb rule is simple. The league wants the players to stay healthy. But the real question is, how fair would it be to the Eagles who have mastered it? It’s a physical game after all.