MVP On and Off the Field: The Story Behind Josh Allen's Custom Hats

Courtesy of New Era

Reigning NFL MVP, and husband of actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Allen is the best on the field, but he's also one of the best in giving back to his community. Allen's new initiative to give back to Buffalo involves creativity, collaboration, fashion, and, of course, football.

Allen is a spokesperson for Buffalo's John R. Oishei Children's Hospital (OCH) and regularly visits patients to spend time with them, as well as appears in commercials to promote fundraising. His relationship with the hospital began early in his NFL career when he donated $200 for each of his 29 touchdowns in 2019. The following season after Allen's grandmother passed, Bills Mafia came together to donate over $1 million to OCH to support Allen and honor his late grandmother, helping create the Patricia Allen Fund.

Last season for the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign, he worked with kids from OCH to design his cleats for a game. Now, he's taking his connection with the hospital to the next level through a partnership with New Era.

Allen has a new position in addition to quarterback on his resume, which he shows on his new LinkedIn account. He was recently appointed as New Era's "Director of Billustration," and is using this role to give back to the Buffalo community through exclusive hats he designed, featuring his infamous Bills logo drawing. With the popularity of the hats (which are a must for Bills fans), New Era expanded from two to thirteen different Billustration hats. With this new role, Allen is also collaborating with patients at OCH to create their own designs on hats with his logo.

Josh Allen's Week 1 hat, designed by 5-year-old Jaxson, courtesy of the Buffalo Bills on X

Nine chosen kids at OCH each designed a hat for Allen to wear this season. At every Bills home game, he will be wearing one of the specially designed hats during the tunnel fit walk. In the Bills' Week 1 home opener against the Baltimore Ravens, Allen donned a design by Jaxson, a five-year-old born with myotonic dystrophy who has already undergone 11 surgeries.

"Doing something to raise money for the place that gave us everything for our son and giving him the best life so far that he can have, it's amazing," Jaxson's mom said for WKBW-TV. "We are so honored that he was chosen to create a hat for Josh Allen to wear."

With Buffalo's exciting 41-40 comeback victory over Baltimore on Sunday Night Football, the hat gave Allen both a good look and good luck.

Nine hats designed by OCH patients that Josh Allen will be wearing this season, courtesy of New Era on Instagram

“Buffalo has become home for me and giving back to the community through my partnership with New Era means a lot," said Allen in a press release for New Era. “The long-term partnership we have built over the years is personal. New Era has believed in me since I was a rookie, and I believe in the brand and where we are going. In my new role as Director of Billustration, I want to create something that connects football, fashion, and the amazing kids who inspire me every day.”

All of the hats Allen wears this season will be autographed by him, authenticated by the Bills, and auctioned after the game. The hat Jaxson designed went for $17,150! 100% of the proceeds are going to the Patricia Allen Fund at Oishei Children's Hospital, benefiting the critical care teams.

As Allen said in his MVP acceptance speech, "Be good, do good, and go Bills!"

Edited by: Kelly Cassette