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LeBron James Tweets About Browns’ Decision to Pass on Josh Allen Twice

The King wasn’t exactly pleased to be reminded that his home state team once had two chances to draft the Bills star quarterback.
LeBron James Tweets About Browns’ Decision to Pass on Josh Allen Twice
LeBron James Tweets About Browns’ Decision to Pass on Josh Allen Twice

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Bills quarterback Josh Allen lit up the Rams during Thursday’s 2022 opener, kickstarting his fifth season in the NFL in spectacular fashion. 

The star signal-caller was nearly flawless in Buffalo’s 31–10 rout of the defending Super Bowl champions. He completed 26 of his 31 passes for 297 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also racked up 56 yards and a rushing touchdown on 10 carries.

While Bills Mafia was likely ecstatic to see their franchise quarterback ball out in his 2022 debut, not everyone was thrilled with what he did against the Rams. For some, including NBA star and Ohio native LeBron James, Allen’s performance was a bitter reminder of what he could’ve brought to a different team had the 2018 draft shook out differently. 

James, a noted Browns fan, is among those understandably disappointed that his home state franchise missed out on the former Wyoming quarterback. Allen was drafted with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 draft, meaning that Cleveland had not one, but two chances to select him, at No. 1 and No. 4. 

James was made perfectly aware of that fact on Thursday night as Allen diced up his adopted L.A. team at their home stadium. 

Rather than take Allen, who was questioned by many ahead of the 2018 draft, the Browns selected quarterback Baker Mayfield with the No. 1 pick and cornerback Denzel Ward at No. 4. While Ward has blossomed into a two-time Pro Bowler, Mayfield is no longer on Cleveland’s roster after having been traded to Carolina earlier this offseason. 

Meanwhile in Buffalo, Allen is proving that he’s perfectly capable of leading the Bills to their fourth-straight playoff appearance and perhaps their first AFC championship in nearly three decades.  

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Zach Koons
ZACH KOONS

Zach Koons is a programming editor at Sports Illustrated who frequently writes about Formula One. He joined SI as a Breaking and Trending News writer in February 2022 before joining the programming team in 2023. Koons previously worked at The Spun and interned for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He currently hosts the “Bleav in Northwestern” podcast and received a bachelor’s in journalism from Northwestern University.