"You Are My Best Friend": Bills QB Josh Allen And Hailee Steinfeld Made Their Very First Red Carpet Appearance Together At NFL Honors
Last night, the 14th annual NFL Honors took place in New Orleans. The annual awards show honors players, coaches, and moments from the NFL season and always takes place in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.
Hosted by Snoop Dogg, this year's ceremony honored the very best from the 2024 NFL season and also announced the inductees for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
Some of the biggest winners of the night included Eagles running back Saquon Barkley winning Offensive Player of the Year, Bengals QB Joe Burrow taking home Comeback Player of the Year, and Commanders QB Jayden Daniels going home with Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
However, the biggest honor of the evening went to Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, who won the MVP award. He became the first player in 21 seasons to win MVP without being selected first-team All-Pro by barely edging out Ravens QB Lamar Jackson.
According to ESPN, since the MVP award was first handed out in 1957, the only other players to win the award despite not being first-time All-Pro were legendary Broncos QB John Elway and Titans QB Steve McNair.
Allen also became the third Bills player to win the award after OJ Simpson and Thurman Thomas.
This year, Josh also won the Art Rooney Award, which recognizes outstanding sportsmanship on the field.
To celebrate the big night, Josh notably attended with his parents and his fiancé, Oscar-nominated actor Hailee Steinfeld, marking their very first public appearance together on a red carpet.
The duo were first spotted together in May 2023.
Josh and Hailee announced their engagement in November 2024 with a joint Instagram post
Todd Rosenberg / Getty Images, Kate Green / Getty Images
The adorable duo stepped out together, with Josh wearing a perfectly fitted black suit while Hailee wore a strapless black velvet gown with a diamond choker necklace and her engagement ring.
Earlier in the week, Josh discussed how now, thanks to Hailee, he has a "better connection" with fashion stylists. He told the Associated Press, "It's a completely different world than what I'm used to. I'm doing a little fitting here in a couple of days. Hopefully, they have something that fits me. It's hard to find clothes sometimes if you're not going custom. I'm excited."
Josh added, "Look, the only person that I care about that thinks I look good is my fiancé. That's all that matters to me. I don't care what I look like. If she thinks I look good, that's fine with me."
As mentioned, this marked the first time Hailee and Josh have walked a red carpet together. The duo notably keep their relationship pretty quiet, with Hailee opting for attending Bills games in a very low-key fashion.
After being named MVP, Josh got up on stage — after giving Hailee a kiss and hug — and gave a perfect speech where he thanked the Buffalo Bills organization, his parents, and Hailee.
He also acknowledged the other nominees in the category, who were Jackson, Barkley, Burrow, and Lions QB Jared Goff.
"I know this is an individual award, and it says Most Valuable Player on it, but I think it's derived from team success," Josh began. "And I love my team. We've got such a great locker room in Buffalo, and it takes everybody from the equipment staff to the training room to the strength staff, to 'Slick Rick' in the mailroom to the cafeteria upstairs. It truly takes everybody to have team success."
He continued, thanking his parents, saying, "In my 20-plus years of playing football, going down to Pop Warner, I bet you they've missed maybe 15 games in their entire life. They are so dedicated to supporting me and my favorite teammates, who are my sister, my brother, and my little sister."
Josh also thanked them for all of the "time, money, [and] energy wasted" in making his professional football dreams a reality.
And finally, Josh closed his speech with a special shoutout to Hailee, saying, "And last, but not least, my fiancé, Hailee, who...you've been my rock. You are my best friend. I would not be standing on this stage if it weren't for you."
Josh ended with, "Be good. Do good. God bless. And go, Bills!"
You can watch Josh's full acceptance speech here.
