Already a frontrunner for the 2024 NFL MVP award, former University of Wyoming and current Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has completed the most important pass of his life.
He and girlfriend Hailee Steinfeld announced in a joint Instagram post Friday that they’re officially engaged.
While Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce and pop star girlfriend Taylor Swift have been in the spotlight this season, Allen and Steinfeld have been a crossover power couple for at least 18 months.
While they had been rumored to have been dating prior, their relationship was confirmed in July 2023 when Allen posted a photo of the couple in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Who Is Steinfeld?
Steinfeld is a 27-year-old actress most noted for her Oscar-nominated role as Mattie Ross in the 2010 remake of the classic Western movie “True Grit.”
And if you thought Allen’s 1.4 million Instagram followers is a lot, she’s followed by more than 20 million.
A former child actor, Steinfeld also has been in other big-budget movies like “Bumblebee,” “Hawkeye” and “The Edge of Seventeen.”
She’s also tried to branch out as a pop singer, releasing several singles and singing in the 2015 movie “Pitch Perfect 2.”
The Proposal
In the proposal photo posted by both Allen and Steinfeld, they’re in front of an arch made of roses overlooking the ocean. He’s on one knee holding what appears to be a ring box while she’s leaning over for a kiss, presumably after having just said “yes.”
While the reaction on social media has been overwhelmingly positive, there’s also plenty of playful — or perhaps serious — lamentations that perhaps the most eligible bachelor in sports or with ties to Wyoming is off the market.
In less than a day, Allen’s engagement announcement gathered more than 1.5 million likes on Instagram.
“So happy for them!” posted @lalaofwebster to Allen’s Instagram post. “I mean … I still love Josh though” followed by a heart emoji.
“This is my Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce,” posted a user by the handle @blakeshortgame.
Others finally realized that any one-in-a-million chances to snag Allen have been dashed, like @holleralayna, whose all-caps post echoes what many fans from afar likely are thinking: “IT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME.”
In a photo posted to his Instagram account, former University of Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen announced his engagement to actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld. (Josh Allen via Instagram) 
The rumored relationship between Josh Allen and Hailee Stenfeld was confirmed in July 2023 when Allen posted this photo of the couple in Paris. (Josh Allen via Instagram)
Football
Allen, 28, made a big splash in his final season at the University of Wyoming leading up to the 2018 NFL draft, where he was selected seventh overall by the Buffalo Bills.
Before that, he was a phenomenon for the Cowboys, leading the Mountain West team to national recognition as a top pro prospect.
In two seasons as the starting signal-caller for UW, he led the Cowboys to two bowl games and accounted for more than 5,800 yards of total offence, including 767 rushing yards. He scored 57 touchdowns.
As a pro, Allen has become one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, completing more than 64% of his passes so far this year. He also has a reputation as a playmaker who can improvise big plays.
But no play was bigger than his connection with Steinfeld, which Rolling Stone magazine reports happened Nov. 22.
He’s led the Bills to the second-best record in the AFC at 9-2 so far, including handing the conference-leading Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) their first loss of the season Nov. 17.
Allen will try to keep his on- and off-the-field winning streak going Sunday, when the Bills host the San Francisco 49ers.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
