Allen backs Bills' panned new unis: 'Stop hating'

PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- Josh Allen has a message for everyone who is not a fan of the Buffalo Bills' new "Nickel City" alternate uniform. "Stop hating on the jerseys, guys," Allen said. The star quarterback's comment came unprompted near the conclusion of his press conference Wednesday, two days after the Bills unveiled the new uniform -- with the images of the all-gray jersey-pants combination receiving significant negative feedback on social media. Allen, however, said that the new look is representative of the changes the Bills have undergone and that he is excited to wear it. "I enjoy them. I think it's very symbolic of what we want to do and what we want to be," Allen said after the Bills' first practice of training camp. "I understand people want the old jerseys and the old helmets and all that. "But at some point, too, we are moving forward. We have to move forward and do something new -- and that's what we're doing." The alternate jersey is expected to be worn for two games this season, but the games have not yet been released. It marks the first time the Bills have highlighted gray in this way. Teams are required to use colors in their current palette when designing alternate uniforms. The helmet has a blue base with the team's red charge symbol featured. A blue collar town that never backs down. — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 27, 2026 We are the Nickel City. pic.twitter.com/nDja8yhTMW As Allen noted, change is a theme for the Bills in 2026, from their new Highmark Stadium that will officially open this season to hiring a first-time head coach in Joe Brady. The head coach change came in the wake of the Bills trying to win a Super Bowl title with Allen, something that eluded the organization under former head coach Sean McDermott, who was fired in January. Some of the tweaks under Brady were evident on the first day of camp, including practice being held an hour and 15 minutes earlier than it typically was under McDermott. "The vibe, the energy, it's different," Allen said. "I'm not saying it's better [or] it's worse. It's different. And as a new head coach for a team, I think that's a smart decision to make things different. "This isn't the same place, and you have to make it feel differently because doing the same thing, it obviously didn't work. So, got to change it up and try to find new ways to make it work."