"It’s kind of surreal": Josh Allen once made his feelings known about rivaling Tom Brady

Most NFL quarterbacks have drawn inspiration from Tom Brady, including stars like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. In the early 2010s, Allen dreamed of facing the Patriots legend, and in 2018, that dream became a reality.

Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2018, Allen entered the league at the tail end of Brady's 23-season career, which began in 2000. The two first faced off at New Era Field on Oct. 29, 2018. Ahead of the game, Allen shared his excitement about competing against Brady.

"It's kind of surreal that I get a chance to face off against him," Allen told the media.

Allen continued to praise Brady, who led the Patriots to a 25-6 win against the Bills.

“His game, he’s been on ever since he’s been on the field. The way he attacks the game, how smart he is football-wise—situational football—is one of his key strengths. He’s just arguably one of the greatest to ever play.”

Allen was aware of the dismal record the Bills had, but instead of feeling pressured, he credited the iconic Tom Brady-Bill Belichick duo for it.

"When you’ve got a coach and quarterback duo that’s that good, I think any team is going to struggle with that," Allen said. "That’s kind of what every team wants to be is the type of team that New England’s been the past couple decades. They’re constantly in the hunt for the Super Bowl."

Tom Brady makes an exception for Josh Allen

Six years down, Brady is finally retired, and Allen is making his mark in the league as one of the best. Earlier this month, when the Bills faced the Rams in a thrilling 44-42 loss, Allen made history. He became the first QB to pass for and run for three TDs in a single game.

Brady praised Allen for his achievement in his weekly analysis on Fox while making an exception for him.

"Last up and certainly not least, Josh Allen," Brady said. "I know they lost, but he played so well. I’m breaking my rule, and he’s winning star of the week. It was awesome to see his command of the offense in person. He became the first player with three TD passes and three rushing TDs in a game. Six total TDs.”

Allen is now in contention to win his first NFL MVP award this season. He has completed 64.4% of his passes for 3,395 yards and 25 TDs.