Buffalo Bills · Franchise era 5 of 5
The Josh Allen revival: the Buffalo Bills story
The story in one sentence
Sean McDermott restored the playoffs, Allen developed into an elite quarterback and Buffalo became a permanent part of the AFC championship conversation.
Arm strength, movement and a restored contender
Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Matt Milano gave the era its recognizable core.
Its final meaning is still being written.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 2017
What came before
Buffalo cycled through coaches and quarterbacks while devoted fans waited through the league's longest active playoff drought.
- 21TradeMarch 20, 2020
March 20, 2020
The trade that unlocked Josh Allen—and landed Minnesota Justin Jefferson
The Bills needed a true No. 1 receiver for Josh Allen; the Vikings chose to reset the position after Diggs requested a move.
To BUF2020PICKround asset
To MIN20201STround asset2020PICKround asset+2 assetsStefon Diggs to BuffaloBUF receives Stefon Diggs, 2020 seventh-round pickMIN receives 2020 1st-round pick · No. 22, 2020 fifth-round pick, 2020 sixth-round pick + 1 more6 original assets · 1 outcomes tracedOpen trade → 2021-01-16
Divisional Round: Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills
2025-01-19
Divisional Round: Baltimore Ravens vs Buffalo Bills
2025-01-26
Conference Championship: Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs
Still unfolding
Where the story stands
This chapter remains active, so its final place in franchise history is still being written.
The core