When the Buffalo Bills signed Elijah Moore away from the Cleveland Browns, it felt like a major coup for the reigning AFC East Champions.
Signed to the rare non-exclusive restricted free agent tender, Moore could negotiate with any team in the NFL while still technically on the Browns’ roster, and in the end, decided to take his talents to Buffalo on a one-year, $5 million contract.
But why? Why did Moore decide that the Bills were the right team for his services? Was it because of their chilly climate? Their regional cuisine? Or because they had the best offer on the table?
Well, while all of those options may have come into it, the biggest factor was Josh Allen, as the former second-round pick pointed out in an interview with Matthew Bove of WKBW.
“It was very, very easy. At the end of the day, I leave all of my decision-making to the lord, but everywhere I went, literally, you can ask my wife, you see 17 jerseys, you know what I’m saying?” Moore asked.
“So for me, that was enough for me to make that decision, and he’s just a phenomenal player. And from what I’ve heard around the building and even around the league, he’s an even more phenomenal person, so it’s not hard to get behind that.”
You know, after having to play wide receiver with quarterbacks like Zach Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the NFL level, getting to play with an NFL MVP certainly had to play into Moore’s decision-making heading into the 2025 NFL season. While his exact role on the team remains somewhat unclear, as the Bills have a number of players with similar flanker/slot styles, in the end, Moore has one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL throwing him the ball and will get to sink or swim based on his own merits.
