Heading into the Week 8 home matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Josh Allen needed just one touchdown to make franchise history. The Buffalo Bills quarterback has now surpassed franchise legend Jim Kelly to become Buffalo’s all-time passing touchdown leader, with 259 combined regular-season and postseason touchdowns.
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The milestone was even more special for Allen, as Kelly and his wife, Jill, were in attendance when he broke the record. Following the achievement, Jill took to her official social media account to share a heartfelt message for Buffalo’s quarterback.
“When Josh breaks Jim’s record! Bittersweet,” wrote Jill in her Instagram story while sharing a clip from Highmark Stadium.
Allen led the Bills to a dominant 36-10 win over the Ravens while completing 21-of-34 passes for 289 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The historic touchdown came in the fourth quarter with 12:18 remaining in regulation. Allen connected with wide receiver D.J. Moore for a touchdown to move ahead of Kelly and become the Bills’ all-time passing touchdown leader with 259.
The quarterback had tied Kelly’s record a couple of weeks ago against the Las Vegas Raiders. Allen entered Week 7 with 256 combined touchdowns, two behind Kelly’s 258. He first moved to 257 when he connected with Khalil Shakir for a nine-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Then came the extraordinary play in the third quarter.
Facing third-and-eight at the Raiders’ 12-yard line, Allen found himself under pressure as multiple defenders closed in. Instead of taking the sack, he escaped the collapsing pocket and threw an unconventional backhanded shovel pass to Keon Coleman in the end zone. The 12-yard touchdown gave Buffalo a 23-13 lead with 6:22 remaining in the third quarter.
It was Allen’s 258th career passing touchdown across regular-season and postseason games, tying Kelly’s franchise record. And now, he has broken that record as well. At the same time, it’s worth noting that Kelly still holds the regular-season passing touchdown record with 237.
Allen, meanwhile, currently has 230 regular-season passing touchdowns to his name. With 10 more games remaining in the 2026 season for the Bills, the quarterback is expected to surpass that record as well.
Kelly established himself as one of the most important players in franchise history. He led Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990 through 1993 and won the AFC Championship four times. Across his career, he was named to five Pro Bowls and earned first-team All-Pro honors in 1991. Ultimately, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
As for Allen, he has become the face of the franchise ever since the Bills selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In 2020, he set a Bills single-season record with 37 passing touchdowns, breaking Kelly’s previous mark of 33 from 1991. In 2024, he won the NFL MVP award after leading Buffalo to a 13-4 regular-season record. And now, he continues to achieve milestones as the Bills sit at 6-1.
With Kelly’s combined touchdown record now behind him, Allen has another piece of franchise history within reach. Having already established himself as Buffalo’s all-time leader across regular-season and postseason games, the quarterback will now look to surpass Kelly’s regular-season mark as the Bills continue their push through the 2026 season.