Aaron Judge and Josh Allen: Parallels within their careers

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While talking to my brother recently, we began to think about how Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge have pretty similar careers. The obvious connection is the fact that both of them come from well-known New York teams and that they both have become the face of their respective teams. While they may not play the same sport, there are a plethora of similarities connecting their careers in their fields. 

From the beginning, neither were projected to be revolutionary players. Allen has spoken repeatedly about not getting Division I offers and continuously reaching out to scouts for  a chance. Despite the odds being stacked against him, he ended up being selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the draft, later becoming the face of the team. Aaron Judge also fared similarly at the beginning of his career, with no one expecting much from him. He committed to Fresno State and was passed on by many major teams, until the New York Yankees decided to take a chance on him, which has proven to be one of the best decisions they have ever made. 

Both Josh Allen and Aaron Judge have been sensational additions to their respective teams, both in performance and popularity. In a way, they have each revived their team and have helped to attract positive attention. Last season, Josh Allen’s jersey was the most-sold Buffalo Bills jersey, and he also had the most jerseys sold in the National Football League (NFL) during the 2025 season, according to Bills Wire. Aaron Judge has similar statistics with his jersey being the third most-sold jersey in Major League Baseball (MLB) since the World Series, as reported by the MLB. 

In 2024, Allen was named the NFL’s 2024 MVP of the year, while Judge has been named MLB MVP in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Both teams decided to take a chance on these players, and it is obvious how successful that chance was. It is hard to argue that both players are not instrumental to their teams when they have been awarded such prestigious honors for their athletic performances. Additionally, they both seem to enjoy some degree of privacy during off-seasons and try to enjoy a semi-normal life during those times. 

Another thing that both players have in common is that they have both made it deep into the playoffs, but have not yet secured the ultimate win. Despite being one of the top players in the league, Aaron Judge has not been able to win the World Series—not for lack of trying. Judge is often criticized for “not winning,” but it is unfair to place a whole team's performance on him. Josh Allen is also criticized for his role in the Bills not winning a Super Bowl. Again, these losses are caused by the failure of a whole team, and fans often place the blame on these stars. 

Although both of these players represent their teams to the best of their abilities, it is safe to say that too much blame is placed on them when they “fail.” It is also clear that both Aaron Judge and Josh Allen take the criticism to heart and have often spoken out about how the harsh words have impacted them. Overall, the two have some very distinct parallels in their careers and have been outstanding players for their teams.