User:Purpetic/sandbox
Kenny Cole
Kenneth "Kenny" Jameson Cole III (January 11, 2006 - February 4, 2083) was a former American football quarterback and coach. He played for the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons and coached the Buffalo Bills for 6 seasons. He played college football and college lacrosse at Arkansas and Duke, breaking multiple FBS records. He was often referred to as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time by media analysts and former coaches.
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | January 11, 2006 Ithaca, New York | ||||||||||||
| Died: | February 4, 2083 (age 77) Orchard Park, New York | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | McQuaid Jesuit | ||||||||||||
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| NFL draft: | 2025 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | ||||||||||||
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He was drafted by the Salt Lake City Flyers, who traded up to select him first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He won the 2023 Birmingham Bowl and 2024 Cotton Bowl Classic during college, winning MVP in both bowls. Cole led the NFL in passing touchdowns his rookie year and led the Flyers to an NFC Championship Game, winning National Football League Rookie of the Year and being selected First-Team All-Pro and to his first Pro Bowl in 2025. Cole played for the Buffalo Bills the majority of his career and won numerous awards and records, including becoming a 7x Super Bowl champion and 7x National Football League Most Valuable Player. He holds the record for most passing touchdowns in an NFL career and numerous other records and became the head coach of the Buffalo Bills for 6 seasons following retirement.
Early years
Cole attended McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, New York and be a major part of the team's 4 state championships from 2019-2023. Cole was on varsity football his 7th grade year and started in 8th grade. He was named the MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year for 2022-23. He also played hockey and lacrosse, winning a Section V title in both and scoring 58 goals in his senior lacrosse season.
Cole was a five-star football recruit by Rivals.com and a four-star hockey and lacrosse recruit. He is one of the only American athletes to be drafted into four sporting leagues, having being drafted out of high school into the Premier Lacrosse League, 19th overall by the Philadelphia Waterdogs, National Lacrosse League, 7th overall by the Rochester Knighthawks and 4th overall by the Sudbury Wolves in the Ontario Hockey League.
College career
Cole would commit to playing football over joining the NLL, PLL or OHL and officially announce his commitment to Duke University. His commitment was broadcasted nationally with other schools on the table including Syracuse, North Carolina and UCLA. He would become the starter after training camp and become the first true-freshman starting quarterback of Duke. Part of his commitment to Duke was also the commitment to play division one lacrosse during the spring.
Duke Blue Devils: 2023-24 academic year, Sammy Baugh Trophy winner, First-team All ACC.
At the start of the season, Cole's Blue Devils played No. 9 Clemson Tigers and Cole threw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 28-7 win. Cole led the Blue Devils to a 4-0 start ending with a loss to Notre Dame Fighting Irish where Cole threw 4 interceptions, his only interceptions of the year. In Week 9, Cole, who was averaging 293.5 passing yards per game and 2.4 touchdowns per game would end up throwing for 747 yards and totaling 895 yards in a 45-47 double overtime loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels. This would break two main records owned by Patrick Mahomes where his Texas Tech team in 2016 won 66-59 over Oklahoma. Cole would show below average stats for the final three games finishing the season 8-5 with a win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.
Following the Birmingham Bowl, Cole would announce he would be transferring out of Duke. His decision would come down to Alabama, Texas, Michigan and Arkansas. He chose the Arkansas Razorbacks knowing he would be a Day 1 starter, planning to enter the NFL Draft as early as possible. Coach Sam Pittman regarded Cole as, "having the potential to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time."
Arkansas Razorbacks: 2024-25 academic year, Heisman Trophy, Cotton Bowl Classic win.
Cole would lead the Razorbacks to a 5-0 start with wins against Tulsa, Ole Miss, UTEP, TCU and Texas Tech but would lose to Texas 24-20. With already 1,685 yards and 25 touchdowns in 6 games, Cole would lead the NCAA D1 BCS in passing yards and touchdowns. The Razorbacks would go on another 5 game win-streak, this time with 2 ranked wins and a 10-1 record going into the Cotton Bowl Classic. They would face No. 9 Tennessee and lose 27-31. Cole would finish the season with 4,759 yards and 50 touchdowns on 14 interceptions. Cole would be nominated for the Heisman Trophy on December 15th 2024 and win the trophy the next week being the first Arkansas player to win the award.
Cole would declare for the 2025 NFL Draft before the Cotton Bowl and become very close with then-Commanders head coach Kyle Shanahan, who knew Cole since he was in 8th grade. In Mock-Drafts, Cole was overwhelmingly projected to be the number-one overall pick.
College statistics
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
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| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| Duke Blue Devils | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 12 | 13 | 8-5 | 333 | 500 | 58.3 | 4,096 | 9.1 | 30 | 5 | 170.1 | 155 | 895 | 8.2 | 14 | |
| Arkansas Razorbacks | ||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 12 | 12 | 10-2 | 350 | 567 | 61.7 | 4,759 | 13.0 | 50 | 14 | 155.5 | 125 | 755 | 7.0 | 16 | |
| Career | 24 | 25 | 18-7 | 668 | 1067 | 60.4 | 8,865 | 11.5 | 80 | 19 | 165.4 | 289 | 1,485 | 7.8 | 30 | |
Professional career
We are always looking out for Kenneth's future and our family has come to the mutual agreement that if the wrong opportunity presents itself, Kenneth will pursue lacrosse and hockey and the opportunity that the Philadelphia Waterdogs have given him.
- Cole Family
With Cole being projected to be the number one pick, the struggling Arizona Cardinals who did not have a starting quarterback named for the season where eager to select Cole first overall. However, the family of Cole would release a statement prior to the draft suggesting that they do not want Cole to be selected by the Cardinals.
Within 10 minutes of the clock starting for Arizona, they announced that they would be interested in trading the pick and placed the pick on the NFL's trade block. They would begin searching offers once the clock started. The Salt Lake City Flyers and New England Patriots would engage in a three-team deal before the pick's time expired to send the first overall selection to Salt Lake, with multiple first round picks being sent to New England and Arizona and Josh Allen, the two-year starting quarterback for Salt Lake to the Cardinals. Cole would end up being selected first overall by the Washington Commanders / Salt Lake City Flyers.
Rookie season: Rookie of the Year, NFC Championship Appearance, 50 touchdowns.
Prior to the start of the season, the Flyers would trade for Justin Jefferson from the Vikings and Quentin Johnston from the Chargers. They would let Curtis Samuel walk but take strong steps to progress KaVontae Turpin and Frankie Jackson develop as pass-catchers. The emergence of Isaiah Likely as a more versatile tight end also would help Cole obtain more weapons.
The Flyers and Cole would lose the first two games, against the Las Vegas Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles on primetime. Both losses were in overtime, with Cole throwing for 358 yards, 4 touchdowns and an interception versus the Raiders which is the most passing yards and touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in their debut. Following a 3-4 start, with all the losses being in overtime or one score games, Cole expressed frustration with Kyle Shanahan and Harry Grier's system at offense. With Grier being put on administrative leave after Week 8 for undisclosed reasons, Shanahan would embrace a Spread offense to allocate for Cole's running ability and vertical passing scheme. The playbook shift would attract the likes of Dan Campbell, who reworked the playbook frequently used by Shanahan ahead of their matchup against the Chiefs.
Offensive changes would allow the Flyers to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 24-17, but with 300 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, Cole would have a 33% completion rate and throw 5 interceptions, with lacking efficiency in the offense, Shanahan would allocate to changing the schemes per matchup rather then introducing a new playbook. Cole would continue to deal with interception problems, even after the Flyers' acquired Jordan Addison in an attempt to create more efficiency. Cole would throw for a rookie record 404 yards and 6 touchdowns but throw 3 interceptions in a 45-42 loss to the Cowboys. Following a loss to the Chargers, head coach Shanahan said OC Grier will not return following the season. The Flyers would qualify for the playoffs as the 5th seed and play the Los Angeles Rams. Cole would miss the remainder 3 games of the regular season and return for the playoffs due to a high ankle sprain.
In the Wild Card Round, Cole would throw for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns to secure the win against the Rams and play the 49ers in the divisional round. Cole and the Flyers would beat the 49ers 56-6 in one of the biggest playoff blowouts of all time. Cole would throw for 425 yards and 7 touchdowns, the most touchdowns in a playoff game of all time. This win would move them on to the NFC Championship Game against the Detroit Lions. They would go down 35-3 at halftime and lose 35-17. Cole would win Rookie of the Year and be nominated to First Team All-Pro and the Pro Bowl in his rookie season. He would also be nominated as the NFC Best Quarterback of 2025.
Second Year: NFL MVP, NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Second NFC Championship Berth
Matt Eberflus would replace Harry Grier at OC and the Flyers would spend big money on Elijah Mitchell and offensive line help, but not sign any WRs in waivers. The Flyers were projected as the 5th ranked team at the start of the season by ESPN, with Cole projected to be the NFL MVP, at -1200 odds during the preseason. During the offseason, Cole would be included on the Madden NFL 26 cover and join the 99 club, the first Washington/Salt Lake QB to reach this milestone.
Cole and the Flyers would start the season 3-0 but lose to the Saints. With 14 seconds left, the Flyers had the opportunity to kick the game winning field goal. To give Justin Tucker more time to warmup, they would run a Hail Mary pass and have Cole intentionally throw the ball away to drain off 10 or more seconds and let Tucker warmup. Cole, would however not be able to exit the passing pocket and fumble on the throw away, which would be recovered by Joel Bitonio but allow the clock to keep running. Cole attempted to spike the ball but upon further review the clock hit 0:00 before the spike touched the ground.
Cole was ejected from a game versus the Seattle Seahawks. Cole would throw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely but a penalty for illegal forward pass would set the team back 15 yards. Cole would shout in Alan Eck's face and grab him during the altercation.Teddy Bridgewater would go 0/2 on a turnover on downs and lose the game 10-14. Cole was fined $25,000 but was not suspended for the incident. In a game versus the New York Giants, Cole would throw 6 interceptions, tying his career high and pushing his season total from 7 (19th in the league) to 13 (2nd in the league). His interception problems were not a sign of concern for HC Kyle Shanahan, in which 4 of the 6 interceptions were drops or tips by receivers. His interceptions were graded by Pro Football Focus as the least deserving in the NFL.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Wonderlic | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
285 lb (129 kg) |
39+1⁄2 in (1.00 m) |
11 in (0.28 m) |
4.39 s | 1.62 s | 2.63 s | 4.28 s | 6.80 s | 36 in (0.91 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
50[1] | |
| All values from NFL combine | ||||||||||||
Cole would lead the Flyers to a 2-0 finish after a loss to the Titans in Week 15 and they would clinch the one seed and play the New York Giants in the divisional round. Throwing 2 early interceptions, the Flyers would lead 28-21 at halftime after a hail mary touchdown pass to end the half. They would win 35-49 and face the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. They would play following the AFC Championship Game knowing that the winner would play the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl LX. They would lose 35-30 missing the final possession.
Cole would win NFL MVP and NFL Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors. Over the off-season, HC Kyle Shanahan would retire and OC Matt Eberflus would go to the Buffalo Bills. Cole would express frustration with the remaining training staff of the Salt Lake City Flyers and request a trade. On March 19, 2027, Cole announced that he would be interested in going with Eberflus to the Buffalo Bills and later that week. Cole would be traded for over 19 pieces and $100,000,000 with the Buffalo Bills.
Third Year: Buffalo Bills, Second NFL MVP, Divisional Round Berth
After being acquired by the Buffalo Bills, they would draft WR Taron Jackson first overall in the 2027 NFL Draft. Against the Dallas Cowboys, Cole's first pass was complete to Davante Adams for a touchdown. The Bills would win that game 45-23 with Cole throwing 501 yards and 5 touchdowns. In Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, Cole and the Bills would lose 37-0, the first time he was shut out in his career. Cole threw for 228 yards and was sacked 13 times in a game, the second most in NFL history behind the 1952 Philadelphia Eagles who sacked the New York Giants quarterbacks 14 times. Cole would throw for 446 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 45-21 primetime win over the Indianapolis Colts.
In Week 17, Cole would make his homecoming to Salt Lake City and win 42-17. Cole would throw for 353 yards and 4 touchdowns. Buffalo would play Philadelphia in the last week of the season for the 1 seed and lose 42-35. In the first round, the Bills would play the Pittsburgh Steelers and win 33-31. Cole threw for 305 yards and 2 touchdowns to move onto the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. He would start the game with a touchdown following a 40 yard rush. Cole would throw an interception and fumble on back to back drives. Turnovers would cost Cole with a 32-28 loss to the Ravens coming down to the last play. He would win his second NFL MVP this season, joining Patrick Mahomes as being tied for the youngest player to win two MVPs. Cole requested more offensive line help during the off-season, as he was sacked over 60 times on the year.
Fourth Year: AFC Best QB, 1,000 rushing yards, Super Bowl MVP.
The Bills would make coaching staff moves, hiring Mike Tomlin at OC and Andy Reid at DC. The Bills entered the season with the highest payroll in the league, signing higher tier offensive linemen such as Cole Strange and O'Cyrus Torrence. The Bills would draft TE Matt Robby in the third round and pickup Kenneth Walker III in free agency. They would play the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in the NFL Kickoff Game and win 34-32 on a game winning Justin Tucker field goal. Cole would throw for 356 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Cole would throw for 528 yards and 7 touchdowns and rush for 119 yards and 1 touchdown in a Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets, they would win 56-10 and advance to 5-0 on the season. Following the game, Cole would sign a 8y/701M deal, the largest contact in sports history and the youngest athlete to sign a supermax in any American sport, at 23 years old. In Week 9, Cole would beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 55-0, his largest blowout, first shutout and one of the largest blowouts in NFL history. The next week they would beat the Cleveland Browns, being up 35-0 at halftime and Cole throwing for 364 yards and 5 touchdowns. With Cole being so far ahead the rest of the league, Sean McDermott said he would bench Cole and the Bills starters once the Bills clinched the one seed.
The Bills would be humbled in a loss to the Miami Dolphins 46-21, with the Dolphins keeping a 40-point lead until the fourth quarter. They would bounce back against the 49ers however, with a 51-10 win at home. Cole would break the record this game for most rushing touchdowns in a game by a quarterback and tie the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns in a game with 6. After the bye-week, Sean McDermott would announce that the Bills' Week 14 away game against the Tennessee Titans would be his last game of the regular season, with regular practice schedules and weekly scrimmages to be enforced. With the Bills losing 28-21 to the Titans, questions were brought upon weather Cole should keep playing or not, but the Bills were trusting in Jared Goff or another free agent they could pick up.
After further consideration from the team and Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane, Goff would serve as the number 2 quarterback behind Malik Willis, who fit the scheme and was acquired in free agency. At the end of the year, Cole was recognized as the AFC's Best Quarterback and and the fourth Quarterback with over 1,000 rushing yards (Justin Fields, Lamar Jackson x2, Michael Vick). They would have a bye going into the wild card weekend but play the Las Vegas Raiders in the divisional round. Cole and the Bills would win 45-14, Cole throwing for 4 touchdowns and rushing for another 3, a playoff record. They would move on to play the Kansas City Chiefs at home in the conference championship.
Cole and the Buffalo Bills would be favored -3.5 at home against the Chiefs in Cole's third conference championship game appearance, the youngest NFL quarterback to do it. The Chiefs would come out fast and score first but the Bills would hold there own, with a game-tying Justin Tucker field goal to force overtime 34-34, Cole would break off a 41-yard run after the Chiefs failed to score in the first overtime possession. In the red zone, Cole would throw to Taron Jackson for a 35-yard touchdown pass, to mark Cole's first career Super Bowl and the Bills second Super Bowl in two years. The Bills would play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in U.S. Bank Stadium for Super Bowl LXIII.
Cole and the Bills would wear all-white and and win the opening coin toss, electing to defer. After a Tampa Bay touchdown, the Bills would score in a 3 play drive with a rushing touchdown by Cole. Justin Tucker would take the 24-21 lead at halftime, with Cole being 7/7 with 210 yards and 3 total touchdowns. The Bills would not punt until the fourth quarter, leading 31-28, Cole would throw one final touchdown with 34 seconds remaining to Taron Jackson, his second of the game to finish it out. Cole would win Super Bowl MVP in the franchise's first win.
2029 NFL Season: Divisional Berth, Second Team All-Pro
During the off-season, the Bills acquired Chris Olave to replace the retired Davante Adams and tight end T. J. Hockenson. In the NFL Kickoff Game, Cole and the Bills beat the New England Patriots 6-0, the least amount of points scored in a victory during Cole's career. He threw for 64 yards and no touchdowns or turnovers. In Week 2, Cole would beat the Falcons 42-39 in overtime throwing over 300 yards and a touchdown but throwing 2 interceptions. In Week 3 and 4 they would drop games to the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. Prior to the AFC Championship Game rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bills would trade Kenneth Walker, they would end up winning the game 18-12, with no touchdowns for Cole and a sack in the endzone for this third career safety. Cole described the year as a "down-year", following the game losing 2 of the 4 through Week 9 before the Super Bowl rematch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They would win 27-10 and also take down the undefeated Tennessee Titans and taking a statement win to the New Orleans Saints, having Cole throw for 446 yards with 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Cole would lead the Bills to a 3-0 finish to become 10-7 and just barely win the division against the New England Patriots. They would play the Denver Broncos at home in the first round of the playoffs. Cole would lead the team to a 42-24 win, and they would advance to play the Las Vegas Raiders in the divisional round. They would bring the Raiders into overtime 38-38 but fall short because of fumbles from the running game. Cole credited the season at the end to, "Super Bowl hangover" and promised to "return the favor next season".
2030 NFL Season: Second Team All-Pro, Bills–Chiefs rivalry
After the Super Bowl, HC Sean McDermott would retire and Pegula Sports and Entertainment would sell the team. Former OC of the Buffalo Bills in 2023, Joe Brady would become the next head coach over the off-season. Cole came out and said that he recruited Brady to rejoin the Bills during the playoffs. The Las Vegas Raiders would faceoff against Cole in his fourth NFL Kickoff Game, the most of any player in the game's history. Cole would break off for a 75-yard rushing touchdown at the start of the game and the Bills would win comfortably 38-13 despite the 2 turnovers by Cole.
Cole would rush for 176 yards against the Detroit Lions in a 31-21 loss, the most in a single game by a quarterback (beating Michael Vick). After a rough game against the Minnesota Vikings, Cole would bounce back heavy against the San Francisco 49ers in a 49-13 win with 392 yards and 7 touchdowns, a career high in passing touchdowns and tied for most in a game. Before Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers, the Bills would clinch the playoffs and Cole would sit out the remainder of the season for Malik Willis. Willis and the Bills would win out and finish 12-5.
Cole would come back for the Wild Card round against the also 12-5 Indianapolis Colts. He would end the first half with two rushing touchdowns and the Bills would win 38-0, his second career playoff shutout. They would move onto play the Kansas City Chiefs, who they had met in the AFC Championship Game two years prior. Cole and the Bills knew they had a tough task, with the pressure of Myles Garrett and the passing tandem of Brock Purdy-CeeDee Lamb, Cole said before the game he was "nervous, but excited to perform". On the third pass for Cole, Myles Garrett would force a fumble and Trey Hendrickson would return it for a touchdown.
With a score of 17-17 at halftime, the game would remain a shootout until the final possession when Cole would throw an interception in the end zone, the Bills would score at the end and with the score 38-31, George Karlaftis would force a fumble but it would be called back due to Roughing the passer. The Kansas City Chiefs would win 38-31. The Chiefs would eventually make Super Bowl LXV and lose 45-0 to the Atlanta Falcons who the Bills beat 24-20 in the regular season. Cole attended the Super Bowl and said in an interview: "2031 Super Bowl Champion Buffalo Bills. Book it."
2031 NFL Season: Super Bowl win, First-Team All-Pro
Cole's lead back Devin Singletary would retire over the off-season, the Bills would also bring back Cole Strange at Cole's request. Chris Olave, who suffered a Torn ACL in last year's Kansas City Chiefs playoff matchup, would be inactive for the start of the season and placed on injured reserve. Before Week 1, T. J. Hockenson and Russ Bingham would be traded to the Packers for Quinn Meinerz. Cole and the Bills would play the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL Kickoff Game, in the first play of the new season, Cole would connect with Taron Jackson for a 85-yard touchdown. Cole would lead the Bills to a 24-24 tie but with both teams scoring, Dylan Sunny would miss the PAT and the Bills would go down 30-31 before a 94-yard touchdown between Cole and Taron Jackson to win 36-31. Jackson would finish with 334 receiving yards, 2 off of the in-game record.
The Bills would lose to the Dallas Cowboys in a shootout before beating the New York Giants comfortably. Before the Jaguars game, the Bills would trade Roman Wilson, a first round pick and a third for Jalen Carter and John Parish from the Eagles after a contract dispute with Wilson. Cole would throw for 434 yards and 4 touchdowns against the Jaguars, winning 34-3. The week after, he threw for 328 yards and 6 touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns.
With wins over the Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs and an 11-1 record with the divison clinched, Cole would be benched for the remainder of the season. Malik Willis would start one game but suffer a ruptured disk, Cole would come back for the remainder of the Bengals game and the New York Jets game.The 16-1 Bills would become the one seed and Cole would win AFC Best Quarterback following the regular season. He would also be named to First-Team All-Pro honors. Cole would play the 9-8 Broncos in the first round and win 47-33, with 325 yards and 6 touchdowns, tied for the most in a playoff game.
The Bills would host the 14-3 Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game in a blizzard, with some of the worst weather-related conditions in NFL history. Four hours before the game, the snow would be too heavy for NFL crews and the game would be rescheduled to Monday Night Football from its Sunday at 3:05pm slot. On Monday Night, with the snow still going, the Bills would only pass on third down and take a 3-0 lead into halftime. The Titans would score the first touchdown with 21 seconds left in the third quarter before Cole's rushing touchdown as third quarter time expired. The Titans would take a 14-17 lead before Sunny would kick a 36-yard FG with 10 seconds left for the win.
Cole would finish 2/5 with 25 yards, his worst stat-line of his career, but would get help in the rushing game with 105 yards and a touchdown. The Bills would play the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl LXVI at AT&T Stadium. The Bills would defer, but following 2 forced turnovers Cole would lead the team into field goal range to take a 3-0 lead. The Bills would lead 13-0 into the Super Bowl halftime show and receive the ball at the start of the second half. Cole would throw 2 fourth quarter interceptions but it would not matter as the Bills would win 29-7 for Cole's second Super Bowl title. CB Kelee Ringo would win the Super Bowl MVP.
2032 NFL Season: NFL MVP, Super Bowl LXVII, First-Team All-Pro
Following the Super Bowl, Joe Brady would receive an extension from the team and Cole's request. The Bills would face the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL Kickoff Game and win 34-24. The Bills would continue their win streak into NBC Sunday Night Football against the Chiefs. In a severe rainstorm, the Bills would win 48-17 before the bye week. The Bills win-streak would continue into Week 11 against the 49ers in which they would win 35-21 and advance to 10-0.
In Week 13, the 10-2 Rams would meet the 10-1 Bills in NBC's Sunday Night Football game of the year. The Bills and Cole would dominate, leading 28-0 at halftime. Cole would throw for 523 yards and 7 touchdowns, both career highs and Bills franchise records, winning 56-17. The following week, Cole would face off against the Seattle Seahawks, with the crowd noise getting to him at Lumen Field in the first half, the first quarter would end 0-0, the Bills would score 27 in the second and third quarter but be sacked for a safety twice, Bills would win 40-35, Cole would throw for 395 yards and 5 touchdowns.
The Bills would clinch the one seed and the AFC East against the Los Angeles Chargers, where Cole helped the offense score 54 points. The Bills would garner their second loss of the season to the Cincinnati Bengals and beat the New York Jets to finish the season 15-2, number one in the NFL. Cole would rematch the Cincinnati Bengals following the Wild Card Bye. Cole would lead the Bills to 6-20 at halftime and win 68-6, the second largest NFL playoffs blowout. Cole would throw for 541 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Bills would host the Las Vegas Raiders in the AFC Championship Game.
Cole would lead the Bills with 305 passing yards and 4 total touchdowns to takedown the Raiders and advance to Super Bowl LXVII. The Bills would find out they would be playing the 9-8 Atlanta Falcons in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Teams with home-field advantage in the Super Bowl were 2-0 prior to this game. Before the Super Bowl, Cole would win NFL MVP, AFC Best Quarterback, First-Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl appearance at the NFL Honors, his third MVP and fifth First-Team All-Pro selection.
To start the game, Cole would score a rushing touchdown to end the first quarter. Cole would throw a touchdown to Parrish before halftime to tie it up 28-28. Nobody would score until Cole's rushing touchdown with 1:24 remaining, Atlanta would answer back and the game would go to overtime. The Bills would win the cointoss to start OT and Cole would lead the Bills 75-yards to score first. Atlanta would score following the Bills' drive and Cole would connect with Julian Parrish for a 76-yard touchdown to win it 48-42. Cole was named Super Bowl MVP.
2033 NFL Season: NFL MVP, First Team All-Pro, 12-2.
During free-agency, the Bills would sign 37 year old Lamar Jackson to help mentor Cole. Bills would go 3-0 in the preseason and play the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL Kickoff Game. In a rainy Highmark Stadium, Cole would not see a lot of action, as RB Deshaun Blackshear had 7 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown in the first half. Bills would win 13-6, Cole would throw 1/4 with 21 yards. In a Super Bowl rematch against the Atlanta Falcons, the game would be 24-24 with 90 seconds left before Cole would hand it off for a touchdown to win it.
Bills would beat the Brooklyn Beats 52-35 on Sunday Night Football, Cole would throw for 465 yards and 6 touchdowns, bringing him back into the league leaders. Cole would lead the Bills to wins over the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns. In heavy rain, Cole would only throw 2 passes for 21 yards whilst RB Deshaun Blackshear ran 40 times for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 21-3 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Cole would bounce back next week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, with 496 yards and 6 touchdowns and scoring 63 points on offense.
To end the season, Cole would throw for 505 yards and 6 touchdowns to clinch the playoffs and sit out the remainder of the season. Cole would win NFL MVP and be announced First Team All-Pro before the playoffs began. With a 14-3 record, Cole and the Bills would have a first round bye but play the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round. They would lose 35-28 in a close fought game, this would be the first time in Cole's career he went 0-1 in the playoffs.
2034 NFL Season: NFL MVP, First-Team All-Pro
The Bills would payout TE Kenny Cherry for over $260M and change his position to wide reciever. He had over 200 yards in the preseason game in only the first half. Cole would score 35 in the first half and the Bills would beat the New York Giants in their preseason debut 70-13, the largest victory margin in preseason history. In the NFL Kickoff Game, Cole would throw for 508 yards and 7 touchdowns in a 56-19 win over Indianapolis. In his next showing, Cole would throw for 426 yards and 6 touchdowns in a 63-16 win. Cole would lose 35-32 to the New England Patriots in Week 3. On Wednesday of the following week, Cole would sign the largest contract in sports history, with a 10y/$900M deal, breaking the record previously held by him of 7y/800M.
With losses over the Raiders and Jets, Cole and the Bills would pick it up against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions in dominate wins. Against the Miami Dolphins, Cole would throw for 536 yards and 7 touchdowns in a 59-38 win. Cole expressed after the game his urge to break the record for most passing touchdowns in one game, in which over 50 players are tied for 7 touchdowns, including Cole who has had four 7 touchdown games. After the game, HC Joe Brady expressed that Thursday Night Football against the New York Jets would most likely be Cole's last game of the season. Cole said he had "a lot of fun" in the final game of the season for him, despite him throwing 2 interceptions. Cole caught his first career pass with the team running Philly Special 3 times. 2 of the times however Taron Jackson would throw an interception. 31-7 would be the final score.
The Bills would sign QB Zach Wilson to backup starter Lamar Jackson for the rest of the season. Whilst being inactive, Cole worked to refine his passing mechanics and changed his cleats to Nike Dunk Lows, the first time he ever changed his cleats since pre-high school football he said. Jackson would win out and win the division for Cole and the Bills. With the wild card bye, they would play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round. They would win 38-12 but lose to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game 22-38 off of 2 interceptions by Cole. Before the Super Bowl, Cole would win NFL MVP. His fifth time receiving the award would tie Peyton Manning for the most all-time. This would be the final year that the Associated Press would hand out the award however, moving to the Madden NFL / NFLPA in 2035. He would also win AFC Best Quarterback, his sixth, being second all-time from Tom Brady's record of 10 times receiving the award.
2035 NFL Season: Injury, Last Joe Brady season
The unseen emergence of Tyreek Hill Jr in the preseason would allow the team to free up cap space and limit Deshaun Blackshear's workload. The Bills would play the Kansas City Chiefs at home in the NFL Kickoff Game. They would lose 30-24, struggling to gain momentum as Blackshear suffered broken ribs in the second quarter. They would bounce back with a large 41-10 win over the New York Jets and beat the Cincinnati Bengals 28-3. In a 30-27 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Cole would suffer a fractured shoulder blade and be expected to miss 8-10 weeks. This is the first injury Cole had suffered in his NFL career that had him miss time. Cole was placed on IR on October 4th.
The 38-year old Lamar Jackson would beat the Atlanta Falcons in a thriller but lose out following that. The rest of the team would be decimated by injuries during Cole's absences and the Bills would give Cole the option to return Week 15 but he would elect not to. This would be Cole's first career season he would not qualify for the playoffs.
2036 NFL Season: Rebuild, Second-Team All-Pro, Pro Bowl
HC Joe Brady would get fired and retire later in the off-season, speculation that Cole would leave Buffalo emerged following the news. Following the coaching change, the team would take one of the most massive retirement hits in NFL history. Rashan Gary, Lamar Jackson, Tyler Steen, Brian Trevino, Penei Sewell, Peter Skoronski, Jalen Carter, Brian Branch, Dexter Lawrence, Rocko Mcallister and Nolan Smith would all announce their retirements following the season. No coaching movement would take place over the offseason, as the Bills were also facing an ownership change which would have the NFL take over the team for the season untill prior to the preseason when Cole would make remarks to bring in former QB Gardner Minshew to become the next HC of the Bills. Minshew was a former QB who previously served as the OC of the Carolina Panthers.
Minshew would dump the entire roster, with Cole helping out on offense. They would completely rebuild from the ground up acquiring 14 first round picks, only keeping Hill Jr, Cole, Jackson, Robb, Cherry, Joseph, Lippet, Hunt and their special teams unit. Following the draft, Cole welcomed all the rookies in the largest draft class by a single team in NFL history and got ready to begin the season. The start of Cole's season would abruptly end as Cole would be ruled out for 4-6 weeks with a Partial MCL Tear, Backup QB Sweeney would start the season 3-1, even getting up 35-3 against the Kansas City Chiefs in the pouring rain,
Cole would make his first start against the New York Jets, 366 days from when he last played. He would throw an interception on his first play but bounce back and throw for 526 yards and 5 touchdowns in a 49-23 win. He was asked about the game in his post game conference and said: "I wasn't expecting anything less. I promise to not make injuries the headlines of my career and remember I will always come back." He would go for 439 yards and 5 touchdowns again against the Arizona Cardinals in a 56-13 win and destroy the Brooklyn Beats 63-19, throwing 526 yards and 6 touchdowns.
The Bills would have a rough game against the New England Patriots but score the game tying touchdown in the final seconds, Kicker Dylan Sunny would however miss the PAT causing them to lose. They would drop games to the Minnesota Vikings and New York Jets in Week 11 and 12 before a dominate win over the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills would go on a 4-game losing streak after the Colts game and fall to 7-9 but beat the Los Angeles Rams second-stringers in a dominate win with Cole throwing 512 yards and 6 touchdowns. Cole would finish 5-8 as a starter and the Bills would finish last in the AFC East for the first time in Cole's career.
2037 NFL Season: NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year
Cole said following the final game of the season, he lost a lot of his self esteem and felt that age was catching up to him. He was diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder over the off-season and went to rehab for it. Former Buffalo Bills players' Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas would work with Cole over the off-season and HOF Bills QB Josh Allen would also come to Cole's help as he was struggling to make it back for the start of the season. Cole would be placed on the non-football injury list and miss all of the preseason and Week 1 due to being in rehab. The Bills however would spent big money in the off-season, which Cole acknowledged. The Bills would win 20-14 for Kenny and Cole would make his debut against the Atlanta Falcons.
Cole would throw an early interception but takeoff in the second quarter and second half, winning 56-16, throwing 532 yards and 6 touchdowns and rushing for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns, winning FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. Cole would beat the Denver Broncos 49-0 in his first shutout since his rookie season, throwing 424 yards and 4 touchdowns. Against the Cleveland Browns, Cole would rush for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns, his career high in rushing yards and breaking his own record of most rushing yards by a quarterback in a game.
Cole would lead a game winning drive against the Miami Dolphins to win 21-18 to move to 6-0 before the Cincinnati Bengals game, ready to perform but not expecting what was to come. Cole would throw for 523 yards, his third 500-yard game of the season and would get his 8th passing touchdown of the game with 1 minute left in the game, breaking the NFL record he had tied 6 times and was tied by over 36 quarterbacks and was so eager to break. His 8th touchdown would not be the last of the game, as Tyreek Hill Jr would rush for the final score at the end of the game to win 63-16. Detroit Lions QB Donald Davenport would however tie the record 4 weeks later in the 2037 NFL Season.
Against the New Orleans Saints, the Bills were 9-0 and Cole needed 1 more touchdown to enter the List of most career passing touchdowns, overtaking Peyton Manning's spot. On the opening drive, Devon Joseph would catch a pass and go out of bounds on the one yard line, Cole would be sacked on second down and Matt Robby would catch the sealing touchdown pass off of an out route in the end zone. Cole was honored in the stadium and the Bills would lead 35-7 at halftime, with Cole throwing for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns, he break the record for most passing yards in a game, with 580 yards before being taken out of the game.
In the snowiest game of the year on Thursday Night Football against the New England Patriots, the Bills would take Cole out after the first half due to the conditions and the 20-0 lead, Cole would go 11/11 with 153 yards and 1 touchdown to move to 11-0. They would drop their first game to the Brooklyn Beats 42-38 and play the Pittsburgh Steelers the week after and win 43-7. Cole would beat the Jets the next week with a 93.7% completion rate and they would also beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heavily in Week 17. The Bills would get up heavy against the Miami Dolphins backups' leading 35-14 at halftime and winning 52-14. The Bills would finish as the two seed at 15-2. Cole would break the record for most passing touchdowns in a season at 62 and win NFL OPOY, AFC Best Quarterback and NFL Comeback Player of the Year along with First-Team All-Pro Honors and his 10th Pro Bowl selection.
2037-38 NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl LXXII:
Cole and the Bills would treat the Steelers game as a bye week, with the struggling 7-10 Steelers having multiple core injuries, they would win 56-19. Cole and the Bills would host the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round, who knocked Cole out of the playoffs 10 years ago prior to the day. They would start the game off with a 96-yard touchdown pass to Kurtis Cherry and would beat the Ravens 41-9. The Bills would move on to the AFC Championship Game and play the 16-1 Los Angeles Chargers who were having the greatest season in the 17-game era. It would remain close the entire game, with 4 turnovers on each side and a 4th down that turned into points for the Chargers, they would take a 28-27 lead with 0:14 left in the fourth quarter. Cole would use 10 seconds on a 26 yard rush to gain a first down at the 48 yard line. Cole would throw the ball away on second down and leave 0:02 left for Dylan Sunny to kick a 62-yard field goal. Sunny would make it off the crossbar in thrilling fashion to win it for Buffalo. This field goal would win NFL Play of the Year at the NFL Honors and was described as one of "the most clutch plays in NFL history."
The Chicago Bears would win the NFC Championship Game and move to 18-1 on the season, the greatest season in Bears history and a juggernaut among the playoffs along with the Los Angeles Chargers. Keegan-Michael Key called the Bills' road to the Super Bowl, "the hardest in NFL history, no doubt", at the NFL Honors. The first Super Bowl touchdown would go to Tyreek Hill Jr, with Chicago returning. Cole would takeover in the second quarter, throwing for 3 touchdowns securing a 28-7 lead at halftime. Cole would get a rushing score in the second half and the game would become out of reach at the 2 minute warning, leading 42-14. Cole would win his 4th Super Bowl championship, becoming tied for second most Super Bowl titles for a quarterback (Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana). Cole would win his third Super Bowl MVP as well.
2038 NFL Season: Wild Card Loss
Cole would talk about his future for his career following the season, including him wanting to become a head coach in the NFL following his retirement. The Bills would sign 35-year old WR Frankie Jackson who Cole played with in Salt Lake City. They would beat the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Kickoff Game and beat the New York Jets, Dolphins again and Los Angeles Chargers in a AFC Championship Game rematch. They would lose to the Ravens though and drop games to the Jets, Patriots and get blown out by the Green Bay Packers following their bye week to fall to 4-4. HC Gardner Minshew said that "things need to change" before the Vikings game and they would win 34-16. The Chicago Bears would face Cole in a Super Bowl rematch and the Bills would win 45-0. The next week, the Bills would play on NFL Thanksgiving against the Detroit Lions and win 34-19.
Cole would lead the team to a close win against the Denver Broncos 28-23 and the Bills led by Cole would win a thriller against the Kansas City Chiefs, 42-48 in overtime, throwing 499 yards, 5 touchdowns but 3 costly interceptions. With wins over the Beats, Patriots and Rams they would propel to 12-5 and play the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild card round, who they had previously beat in overtime. In a lake-effect winter storm which almost delayed the game. Cole would not throw the ball at all, and would get down 0-14 at halftime because of this. On the last drive of the game down a touchdown, Cole would rush all the way down the field and throw his first completion of the game to attempt a pass on the goal line. Targeted for Tyreek Hill Jr, the pass would fall incomplete for Cole's first ever wild card loss.
2039 NFL Season: Super Bowl victory, 6th NFL MVP.
The Bills would sign a WR and HB for Cole and trade away a lot of draft capital for the future. HC Gardner Minshew commented that he was "a little scared" for the future of the team, but would make it work. Cole was optimistic for the team during press conferences and in the NFL Kickoff Game, the Bills would win 42-10. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they would win 37-34 despite Cole's interception in the third quarter. Cole would move the Bills to 3-0 with an efficient win in Miami 27-19. It would be a close fought battle against the New England Patriots, but in the end the Bills would lose their first game of the season 27-24.Cole would lead the Bills in a 42-21 win over the New Orleans Saints with 163 yards rushing and a touchdown. Cole would go off against a top-tier Philadelphia Eagles team, winning 70-10, the third largest blowout in regular season history.
Cole would throw for 466 yards and 6 touchdowns and be helped by Tyreek Hill Jr who rushed for 209 yards and 4 touchdowns, also being relieved in the third quarter for backup Hall. The Bills would lose in an overtime thriller against the Miami Dolphins 44-38, where Cole led the Bills final drive to tie the game and threw for 390 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cole would help the Bills finish out their Week 15 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, being apart of 5 second-half touchdowns to win 49-17. Against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17, the Bills would go down 27-0 at halftime following Cole's first pick-six of the season. The Bills and Cole would come back and Cole would lead the game-winning drive which ended with a 49-yard field goal from Dylan Sunny to win 34-33.
Cole and the Bills would play the Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round after becoming the one seed and getting a wild card bye. Cole would throw for over four hundred yards and break numerous playoff records to advance to the divisional round and host the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game. The Bills would dominate, getting up 28-3 at the end of the first quarter with 4 passing touchdowns from Cole in the first quarter. The Bills would lead 42-3 at halftime, the highest point margin in the first half of a playoff game. After getting up 56-10, the Bills would bench Cole and move on to Super Bowl LXXIV against the Dallas Cowboys in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Cole and the Bills were heavy favorites going in and would not disappoint, starting the game off with a 75-yard touchdown to Devon Joseph. The game would get out of hand quickly, leading 21-0 in the first quarter. Cole would hoist his fifth Lombardi Trophy, winning 51-20. Cole would win NFL MVP and OPOY as well in the NFL Honors that week, his sixth MVP.
2040 NFL Season: Buffalo Bills-Los Angeles Rams trade, Offensive Player of the Year
Buffalo Bills: 5-0 Start, "The Last Drive", AFC Best QB
The Bills would draft WR Trent Richardson in the first round before trading him to Salt Lake City before the season. The Bills would add extra emphasis on the preseason game against the Flyers and win 21-14. The Bills would roll into the regular season 1-0 with a win over the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Kickoff Game. The Bills would win 45-9 against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2, with a rushing attack that featured 122 yards and 2 touchdowns from Cole. Contract talks were brought up after the Raiders win and Cole refused to talk on the matter, at 34 years old, Cole's future with the Buffalo Bills was uncertain in the aforementioned press conference. Cole, despite the controversy around his future would throw for 7 touchdowns and rush for 4 touchdowns in an 84-7 victory over the New England Patriots, Cole would score 7 touchdowns by the third quarter and wasn't benched which was surprising for HC Minshew. The following week, the Bills would beat the Cincinnati Bengals 45-14 with Cole's rushing ability leading the way.
Cole told the Buffalo Bills Radio Network and John Murphy, rumors of a mid-season trade were possible but seemed unlikely, as Cole didn't want to take away pieces from the team he was going to. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buffalo media ran a "Thank you Kenny" video on the jumbotron in honor of Cole, in which no one was expecting this early. The Bills and Cole would go down 10-0 at the end of the first but would comeback 21-10 to end the half. Up 34-17 with 1:46 left, the Highmark Stadium video boards aired a highlight tape for Cole which ended with a standing ovation and branding of "The Last Drive" as the game was about to end. The Bills would use 1 timeout and Cole would throw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Devon Joseph as his last Buffalo Bills touchdown. Following the game, Cole did not specify what would happen but promised: "everything would work out in the end." It was suspected by local media that this game was chosen to be the final game to break the trade deadline and have Taron Jackson return from injury as he would be used as a trade piece.
Los Angeles Rams: The Trade, NFC Best QB, Wild Card Loss.
Cole would be dealt to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for 5-first round picks and QB Jared Mendon. Cole would also come with Kurtis Cherry and Taron Jackson in the trade package. Bills HC Gardner Minshew announced he would step down from football operations following the trade taking place. In LA, Cole would drop the "III" from his NFL backplate and strictly use "Cole". Cole expressed his happiness with the large market and change of scenery. Cole would switch to number 17 and wear different sleeves, cleats and gloves from his kit in Buffalo. After the trade, the Rams would sign Cole to a 7y/400M$ contract that would extend until he was 42 years old. Cole would start his first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which was the largest selling NFL game of the decade. Cole wouldn't wear sleeves for the Tampa Bay game, the first time he ever did in his career, dating back to high school. His first touchdown would come as a 75-yard rushing touchdown. The game would remain close and go into overtime 50-50, the highest scoring end of regulation tie in NFL history. Cole would score the game winner with a 65-yard rushing touchdown. During the week following, Cole would help the front office make many moves, including bringing Dylan Sunny and Jackson Hartman to LA, who have stuck with Cole since Salt Lake City.
In Week 10, the Rams and Cole would host the Buffalo Bills in one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. The Bills would get up 20-12 but Cole would help the Rams tie it and between him and Jarod Newman, they would score on the final drive to win 31-24. Cole would fight a close fought game against the Atlanta Falcons in which the Rams would pull out 48-45. On Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, Cole would put on a masterclass going 15/15 with 350 yards and 2 touchdowns passing and another 158 yards and 3 touchdowns rushing, his most complete game of his career.
Cole's Rams would finish 10-7 and play the Detroit Lions in the wild card round and lose 44-14, the worst playoff loss of his career. At the NFL Honors, Cole would win Offensive Player of the Year along with both AFC Best QB and NFC Best QB, the first quarterback to do so.
2041 NFL Season: NFL MVP, Super Bowl win
The Rams would fire their HC at the end of the season and bring in Dan Campbell, who previously coached the Detroit Lions and worked with Cole over the off-season. In the first game of the season, Cole would throw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Taron Jackson to join the 99-yard pass play club. They would beat the 49ers at Levi's Stadium 44-7. Cole would throw for 280 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first quarter of a game against the Brooklyn Beats in which they would win 56-24 to move to 3-0. Cole, with over 500 yards passing and 8 total touchdowns would lead the Rams to a 56-0 win over the Dallas Cowboys, the largest shutout of Cole's career, The Rams would lose their first game of the season against Salt Lake City 31-20.
Cole and the Rams would lose a thriller against the San Francisco 49ers 48-60, where the two teams would go back and forth in the 4th quarter which would lead to Cole injuring his ankle and backup quarterback Tom Jones throwing a game-losing interception. Cole would lose another game against the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-35. Against the Seattle Seahawks, Cole would lead a 20-point comeback and score a game winning touchdown as time expired to win 38-31. The next week, Cole and the Rams would go to Philadelphia and win 59-14 with over four-hundred passing yards. Cole would lead the Rams to a 55-28 win over the Baltimore Ravens to win the NFC West and finish his best statistical year and a first-round playoff bye.
Cole would win his 7th NFL MVP, the most of all time at the NFL Honors. He would also win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, NFC Best Quarterback, First Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection. In the second round of the playoffs, Cole would help the Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks in a 59-53 thriller in overtime. In the NFC Championship Game, Cole would beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-29. Cole was asked about what his future entailed, and he would comment that a Super Bowl win for the Rams would probably have him move on following the season. Cole's Rams would play the Cleveland Browns in Super Bowl LXXVI at Raymond James Stadium.
2042 NFL Season: San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl MVP
Over the off-season, Taron Jackson, who Cole had spent every year since 2027 with would retire. Cole expressed his decision to request a trade from the Rams, and the Rams would trade him, Dylan Sunny and Kurtis Cherry to the San Francisco 49ers in the first week of the off-season for future draft capital.. At Week 1, Cole's 49ers would play the Los Angeles Rams who were in the NFL Kickoff Game and win 48-32, Cole would have 6 touchdowns in the win. The next week, Cole's 49ers would beat the Arizona Cardinals 63-3, the second largest blowout by a Cole led team. He would throw for 545 yards and 7 touchdowns. Following the game, Cole would recruit former teammate Tyreek Hill Jr, who the Niners would trade for that week. Following the Raiders game, the 49ers would help Cole out, trading for Deveon Joseph who Cole played with in Buffalo. Cole would play a thriller against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6. Called "The Catch", Cole's 49ers would tie the game 57-57 going into overtime before Vikings WR Mullens caught a pass over a 49ers defender, often dubbed one of the greatest catches of all time. Cole threw for 498 yards and 3 touchdowns. Cole's touchdown to send the game into overtime would also be his 781st career touchdown, taking him over Patrick Mahomes and becoming the NFL passing touchdown leader. The next week against the Detroit Lions, Cole would score 3 touchdowns in 35 seconds to bring the game into overtime 31-31 after previously being down 10-31. Cole and the 49ers would win 37-31 in overtime. Cole's 49ers would be in another overtime game the week following, being tied 34-34 against the Chicago Bears. They would win in overtime 40-34. In Week 11, Cole's 49ers would improve to 9-2 after winning 45-0 against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
The Cole-led 49ers would maintain the 1 seed at a 14-3 finish and would play the 7-10 Detroit Lions in the divisional round. The 49ers would win 38-28, with Cole throwing for 212 yards and 2 touchdowns. The 49ers would play the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game and win 55-27. Cole would throw for 471 yards and 6 touchdowns. In Super Bowl LXXVII, Cole would meet his former team, the Buffalo Bills, the first instance of this ever occurring in NFL history. Cole's request to trade for Tyreek Hill Jr also made it the first time a player was traded between 2 Super Bowl teams, and would have a chance to win a ring from both franchises. Buffalo was a heavy betting favorite, but Cole regarded his immaculate 5-0 Super Bowl record, saying: "things won't change anytime soon..." This Super Bowl was regarded as, "the hardest game Cole has ever played in." by the national media on Super Bowl Media Day. The 49ers would pull out 27-17, with 3 early touchdowns to outpace the Bills offense. Kenny Cole was named Super Bowl MVP and won his 7th Super Bowl, tying Tom Brady.
2043 NFL Season: Divisional Round
Cole felt the need to leave SF following the retirement of multiple core pieces on defense. Cole contemplated retirement, but refused. In the NFL Draft, the 49ers would draft a QB for their Mr. Irrelevant draft pick, the pick was Brandon Eichel from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. In his rookie contract, Eichel would contractually be coached by Cole and would be planned to be Cole's replacement wherever he retired. Cole's 49ers would play his former team, the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Kickoff Game. They would lose 34-31. Cole would certainly bounce back against the Carolina Panthers, winning 66-20, the largest win over the Panthers in franchise history. Before the bye week, Cole's 49ers would lose 41-38 to the Baltimore Ravens after Cole got sacked on a designated clock play.
Cole would lead his team to a thrilling win 44-37 over the Cleveland Browns with a late Tyreek Hill touchdown to win it. In a Week 17 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Cole's 49ers would lead 38-31 with 2 minutes left before a muffed punt led to Cole connecting with Kurtis Cherry to win it with no time left 44-38. In the final week of the season against the Arizona Cardinals, Cole would help Kurtis Cherry break multiple records, including most receiving touchdowns in a season and most receiving touchdowns of all time, as he would record 4 passing touchdowns to Cherry in the game. This would also be the game where Tyreek Hill Jr ran for 300 yards, breaking the game record for most rushing yards in a game.
Cole's 49ers would play the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round, he would open it up with a 75-yard rushing touchdown. At the end of the first quarter, the 49ers would go down 17-7. Cole would step up and, being down 35-28, throw a game tying touchdown to Tyreek Hill Jr in the end zone with no time remaining. Cole would score the eventual game winning rushing touchdown in overtime to win 41-35. They would move on to play the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. Cole and the 49ers would get to the 3-yard line down 24-21 to win the game if they scored but Cole would throw an incompletion to lose in the divisional round. Following the loss, Cole was honored at Levi's Stadium and would sign a lucrative deal to become the Buffalo Bills HC once he retired.
Retirement:
Cole announced his retirement on February 19, 2044 over Instagram. During the 2-minute long video, he thanked teammates, coaches and staff for all the incredible work he did over his career. Multiple analysts responded to this, referring to Cole as the, "greatest quarterback of all time", in which he solidified after Roger Goodell would name the NFL MVP the KC3 Trophy. Cole would continue to remain in football, becoming the HC of the Buffalo Bills until 2050.
NFL career statistics^
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Sck | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2025 | SLC | 14 | 14 | 8-6 | 203 | 368 | 55 | 4,728 | 12.8 | 81 | 50 | 19 | 118.2 | 42 | 73 | 913 | 12.5 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 2026 | SLC | 17 | 17 | 12-5 | 276 | 485 | 56 | 5,279 | 10.9 | 80 | 48 | 17 | 113.2 | 42 | 67 | 936 | 14.0 | 50 | 11 | 2 | 2 |
| 2027 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 12-5 | 302 | 498 | 60 | 5,331 | 10.7 | 80 | 45 | 19 | 111.4 | 61 | 78 | 866 | 11.1 | 60 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 2028 | BUF | 13 | 13 | 10-3 | 228 | 356 | 64 | 4,781 | 13.4 | 75 | 46 | 11 | 134.2 | 60 | 83 | 1,136 | 13.7 | 37 | 13 | 1 | - |
| 2029 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 10-7 | 355 | 572 | 62 | 4,720 | 8.3 | 72 | 37 | 17 | 97.3 | 41 | 81 | 604 | 7.5 | 29 | 9 | - | - |
| 2030 | BUF | 14 | 14 | 9-5 | 231 | 365 | 63 | 4,298 | 11.8 | 78 | 40 | 15 | 123.2 | 54 | 71 | 967 | 13.6 | 75 | 11 | 1 | - |
| 2031 | BUF | 13 | 13 | 13-1 | 280 | 426 | 65 | 4,766 | 11.2 | 94 | 50 | 12 | 130.8 | 36 | 57 | 622 | 10.9 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 2032 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 15-2 | 381 | 552 | 69 | 5,378 | 9.7 | 84 | 50 | 12 | 121.3 | 34 | 58 | 452 | 7.8 | 76 | 3 | - | - |
| 2033 | BUF | 14 | 14 | 12-2 | 230 | 370 | 62 | 4,005 | 10.8 | 75 | 44 | 11 | 126.1 | 27 | 51 | 629 | 12.3 | 39 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 2034 | BUF | 13 | 13 | 10-3 | 189 | 301 | 62 | 5,160 | 17.1 | 93 | 55 | 12 | 129.4 | 27 | 77 | 1,212 | 15.7 | 40 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 2035 | BUF | 5 | 5 | 4-1 | 83 | 119 | 69 | 1,127 | 9.5 | 64 | 7 | 2 | 112.2 | 5 | 18 | 82 | 4.6 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2036 | BUF | 13 | 13 | 5-8 | 223 | 381 | 58 | 4,180 | 11.0 | 92 | 36 | 11 | 116.0 | 37 | 79 | 664 | 8.4 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 2037 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 15-2 | 301 | 425 | 70 | 5,701 | 13.4 | 97 | 62 | 10 | 142.9 | 38 | 88 | 1,235 | 14.0 | 75 | 17 | 1 | - |
| 2038 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 12-5 | 339 | 528 | 64 | 5,348 | 10.1 | 89 | 44 | 15 | 113.7 | 36 | 102 | 805 | 7.9 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 2 |
| 2039 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 15-2 | 300 | 429 | 69 | 5,106 | 11.9 | 83 | 49 | 7 | 141.2 | 30 | 106 | 1,313 | 12.4 | 91 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 2040 | BUF | 5 | 5 | 5-0 | 73 | 107 | 68 | 1,671 | 15.6 | 97 | 20 | 5 | 131.1 | 8 | 44 | 700 | 15.9 | 64 | 11 | - | - |
| LAR | 12 | 12 | 7-5 | 221 | 334 | 66 | 3,344 | 11.4 | 96 | 22 | 12 | 121.1 | 22 | 51 | 955 | 16.4 | 75 | 11 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2041 | LAR | 17 | 17 | 14-3 | 296 | 448 | 66 | 6,305 | 14.1 | 99 | 58 | 9 | 140.4 | 44 | 106 | 1,275 | 12.0 | 48 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| 2042 | SF | 17 | 17 | 14-3 | 302 | 436 | 69 | 5,025 | 11.5 | 92 | 56 | 9 | 138.8 | 30 | 95 | 1,205 | 12.5 | 81 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| 2043 | SF | 17 | 17 | 12-5 | 265 | 390 | 67 | 5,078 | 13.0 | 78 | 58 | 14 | 135.5 | 34 | 66 | 1,056 | 16.0 | 50 | 8 | - | - |
| NFL, 19 seasons | 286 | 286 | 214-73 | 5,078 | 7,890 | 64.2 | 91,331 | 11.9 | 99 | 877 | 239 | 124.9 | 708 | 1,451 | 17,676 | 11.9 | 91 | 210 | 26 | 23 | |
Postseason
| Outcome | Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | |||
| Lose Conf. DET | 2025 | SLC | 3 | 3 | 2-1 | 42 | 61 | 68 | 953 | 22.0 | 91 | 11 | 2 | 128.5 | 11 | 116 | 10.5 | 25 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Lose Conf. LAR | 2026 | SLC | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 25 | 45 | 59 | 596 | 13.0 | 57 | 4 | 5 | 95.0 | 14 | 245 | 17.9 | 38 | 3 | - | - |
| Lose Div. BAL | 2027 | BUF | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 25 | 61 | 66 | 661 | 14.2 | 51 | 4 | 3 | 95.9 | 5 | 70 | 19.0 | 40 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Win SB TB | 2028 | BUF | 3 | 3 | 3-0 | 53 | 74 | 71 | 1,121 | 16.4 | 64 | 11 | - | 150.0 | 23 | 253 | 12.0 | 41 | 5 | - | - |
| Lose Div. LV | 2029 | BUF | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 36 | 47 | 77 | 624 | 13.9 | 73 | 3 | - | 134.4 | 17 | 185 | 8.3 | 51 | 5 | - | - |
| Lose Div. KC | 2030 | BUF | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 40 | 48 | 83 | 604 | 12.0 | 54 | 4 | 2 | 114.9 | 10 | 144 | 15.2 | 39 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Win SB CAR | 2031 | BUF | 2 | 2 | 2-0 | 12 | 23 | 52 | 353 | 10.0 | 80 | 6 | - | 95.8 | 11 | 289 | 26.2 | 57 | 1 | 1 | - |
| Win SB ATL | 2032 | BUF | 3 | 3 | 3-0 | 45 | 75 | 63 | 1,216 | 16.2 | 76 | 10 | - | 145.0 | 21 | 325 | 14.5 | 38 | 6 | - | - |
| Lose Div. CIN | 2033 | BUF | 1 | 1 | 0-1 | 22 | 31 | 70 | 255 | 8.2 | 59 | 3 | - | 127.7 | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 4 | - | - | - |
| Lose Conf. NE | 2034 | BUF | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 45 | 62 | 76 | 566 | 7.2 | 44 | 6 | 3 | 94.0 | 14 | 106 | 9.3 | 23 | 2 | - | - |
| Win SB CHI | 2037 | BUF | 4 | 4 | 4-0 | 61 | 75 | 81 | 1,161 | 15.3 | 96 | 14 | - | 157.6 | 35 | 461 | 17.5 | 56 | 6 | - | - |
| Lose WC KC | 2038 | BUF | 1 | 1 | 0-1 | 1 | 4 | 25 | 18 | 4.5 | 18 | - | - | 45.8 | 14 | 182 | 13.0 | 34 | 1 | - | - |
| Win SB DAL | 2039 | BUF | 3 | 3 | 3-0 | 37 | 52 | 67 | 1,161 | 23.1 | 80 | 14 | 3 | 135.4 | 23 | 326 | 13.5 | 32 | 5 | ||
| Lose WC DET | 2040 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 0-1 | 15 | 20 | 67 | 304 | 20.2 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 152.0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 1 | - | - |
| Win SB CLE | 2041 | LAR | 3 | 3 | 3-0 | 41 | 70 | 68 | 1,009 | 16.9 | 78 | 10 | 3 | 125.5 | 26 | 449 | 20.0 | 75 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Win SB BUF | 2042 | SF | 3 | 3 | 3-0 | 41 | 70 | 68 | 955 | 15.4 | 80 | 12 | 1 | 145.5 | 6 | 89 | 31.2 | 48 | 3 | - | - |
| Lose Div. SEA | 2043 | SF | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 25 | 35 | 66 | 558 | 20.7 | 70 | 6 | 2 | 121.5 | 11 | 199 | 20.0 | 75 | 3 | - | - |
| 7-SB 3-Conf. 5-Div. 2-WC. 2-NQ | National Football League | 39 | 39 | 29-10 | 566 | 853 | 66.2 | 12,115 | 14.6 | 96 | 123 | 24 | 121.4 | 244 | 3,454 | 15.2 | 75 | 53 | 7 | 6 | |
Super Bowl
| Venue | Outcome | Year | Opponent | Passing | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||||
| Raymond James Stadium | W 38-28 | LXIII | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 13 | 15 | 86 | 318 | 21.2 | 64 | 4 | - | 158.3 | 9 | 64 | 7.1 | 16 | 1 | - | - |
| Allegiant Stadium | W 29-7 | LXVI | Carolina Panthers | 19 | 30 | 63 | 348 | 11.6 | 37 | 2 | 2 | 97.6 | 3 | 20 | 6.6 | 16 | 1 | 1 | - |
| AT&T Stadium | W 48-42 (OT) | LXVII | Atlanta Falcons | 12 | 23 | 52 | 372 | 16.2 | 76 | 4 | - | 137.2 | 9 | 123 | 13.6 | 34 | 2 | - | - |
| Allegiant Stadium | W 42-14 | LXXII | Chicago Bears | 15 | 16 | 93 | 250 | 15.6 | 35 | 4 | - | 158.3 | 15 | 108 | 7.2 | 19 | 1 | - | - |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | W 51-20 | LXXIV | Dallas Cowboys | 10 | 16 | 62 | 326 | 20.3 | 80 | 4 | 1 | 119.8 | 8 | 125 | 15.6 | 32 | 1 | - | - |
| Raymond James Stadium | W 49-21 | LXXVI | Cleveland Browns | 9 | 15 | 60 | 279 | 18.6 | 78 | 3 | - | 143.8 | 6 | 177 | 29.5 | 75 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| U.S. Bank Stadium | W 27-17 | LXXVII | Buffalo Bills | 9 | 17 | 52 | 198 | 11.6 | 52 | 3 | 1 | 109.8 | 5 | 100 | 20.0 | 59 | - | - | - |
| 7-0 | National Football League | 76 | 117 | 66 | 2,091 | 16.4 | 76 | 21 | 4 | 132.4 | 49 | 540 | 14.2 | 75 | 6 | 1 | - | ||
Coaching
| Year | Team | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GC | Record | ||
| 2044 | BUF | 17 | 14-2-1 |
| 2045 | BUF | 17 | 9-8 |
| 2046 | BUF | 17 | 14-3 |
| 2047 | BUF | 17 | 13-4 |
| 2048 | BUF | 17 | 14-3 |
| 2049 | BUF | 17 | 12-5 |
| 2050 | BUF | 17 | 3-14 |
| National Football League | 17 | 79-39-1 | |
Taylor Kamamoto
 Kamamoto with Hawaii in 2022. | |
| No. 15 – Buffalo Bills | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 9, 2004 (age 20) Alofi, Niue |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | San Jose (CA) (2016-2019) Kahuku (HI) (2020-2022) |
| College: | Hawaii (2023-2024) |
| NFL draft: | 2024 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Humana Taylah "Taylor" Kamamoto Jr. (釜元 豪, Kamamoto Taylah, born November 9, 2004) is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Kamamoto broke multiple school records at the University of Hawaiʻi and became the first player from the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to receive the Heisman Trophy and holds multiple Mountain West Conference records. He was selected first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and has made multiple First-Team All-Pro honors and has won three Offensive Player of the Year awards and two Super Bowl championships in his first four seasons. In 2028, he signed the third largest sports contract of all time for $574,000,000 USD.
High School career
Kamamoto was born in Alofi in a New Zealand-ruled territory in the Pacific Ocean called Niue. He is part-Japanese and Hawaiian. He is one of the most notable people from the village and was homeless for the majority of his life before moving to San Jose, California. After being homeless from ages 10-12, he joined his high school's football team and started the whole varsity season as a 7th grader and become the first ever 7th grade to be selected to a HS All-America team. He would play his 8th grade season and receive First-team All-American honors before moving to Hawaii as his father, Kamamoto Sr. was in the United States Army and transferred to Kahuku High & Intermediate School, the number one high school football team in the state of Hawaii. He would suffer a Torn achilles tendon playing baseball following his 8th grade football season after transferring and would miss his freshman football season.
His sophomore year he would get back to First-Team All-America status and receive First-team honors again as a junior and Second-team as a senior. Kamamoto is the only high school football player to be selected to 5 All-America teams in all years' of eligibility. He was recommended to reclass to the Class of 2021 with how good his grades were and the multiple division one football scholarships but was denied by the State of Hawaii. Kamamoto would also receive multiple D-1 offers in baseball and basketball but didn't take either sport seriously, despite playing and winning the Little League World Series as a 7th grader and receiving McDonald's All-American Game honors for basketball, averaging 25.7 PPG, the most in Hawaii. Kamamoto's senior season is considered to be the greatest high school football quarterback season ever by analysts and news articles such as MaxPreps and 24/7 Sports.
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2016-17 (7th) | San Jose (CA) | 14 | 8 | 12-2 | 212 | 299 | 70.8 | 2,581 | 8.6 | 12 | 14 | 70.8 | 19 | 190 | 10.0 | 4 | |
| 2017-18 (8th) | San Jose (CA) | 14 | 14 | 14-0 | 240 | 310 | 77.2 | 4,584 | 12.4 | 43 | 12 | 112.5 | 31 | 550 | 11.9 | 8 | |
| 2018-19 (FR) | San Jose (CA) | DNP - Torn Achilles (did not count towards eligibility) | |||||||||||||||
| 2019-20 (SO) | Kahuku (HI) | 13 | 13 | 13-0 | 255 | 325 | 66.9 | 4,038 | 11.5 | 28 | 10 | 96.3 | 79 | 1,105 | 12.6 | 12 | |
| 2020-21 (JR) | Kahuku (HI) | 14 | 14 | 14-0 | 321 | 520 | 61.7 | 3,944 | 7.6 | 26 | 16 | 112.4 | 55 | 894 | 13.5 | 16 | |
| 2021-22 (SR) | Kahuku (HI) | 14 | 14 | 14-0 | 354 | 487 | 72.6 | 5,999 | 12.3 | 59 | 1 | 156.9 | 24 | 1,001 | 41.7 | 22 | |
| Career | California, Hawaii | 69 | 63 | 67-2 | 1,543 | 1,764 | 71.9 | 20,001 | 10.5 | 167 | 41 | 120.8 | 208 | 3,740 | 17.9 | 62 | |
College Career
Kamamoto did not start the first two games of the season against the Kansas Jayhawks and Utah Utes but would play in the second half and score multiple touchdowns in both games, over the season, Kamamoto would lead wins over No. 5 Oregon and No. 20 San Diego State and finish 13-0, Before the final game of the season against Colorado State, Kamamoto would be on pace to break Colt Brennan's passing yards record and passing touchdowns record for the school, Kamamoto would decide to sit the final game of the year out of respect for Brennan who died 4 months prior to a drug overdose. The game did not affect the final seeding as Hawaii was not eligible for any further bowl instatement. Kamamoto would win the New Mexico Bowl with Hawaii the following week, being the first ever freshman quarterback to win. He won numerous awards, being the first freshman to win the majority of the awards. He became the second freshman behind Johnny Manziel to win the Heisman Trophy, and also took home the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O'Brien Award, AP College Football Player of the Year, Unanimous All-American, Mountain West Conference Athlete of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, First-Team All-Mountain West Conference. Following this year, the Associated Press labeled him as the, "most accomplished college football athlete of all time, as a freshman." He would also be the first athlete from the University of Hawaii to take home most of these awards.
Kamamoto would start all 14 games as a sophomore and play in the Holiday Bowl and his only NY6 bowl, the Sugar Bowl which he won 24-20 against No. 2 Florida State, being the second ever NY6 the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors ever played in after Colt Brennan lost the 2007 Sugar Bowl. His stats dipped a little having over 5,000 yards still and having over 50 touchdowns and minimal interceptions. He would also become the first-ever Hawaii quarterback to go undefeated during their tenure (minimum 5 games.) at 27-0. Hawaii would finish No. 8 on the AP Poll but would not qualify for the College Football Playoff. He would have ranked wins over No. 2 Florida State, No. 5 Georgia, No. 25 Boise State, No. 19 Navy and No. 17 Washington. He would win back to back Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year awards along with being a Heisman Trophy finalist for the second time and winning AP College Football Player of the Year again. Following the 2023 Hawaii wildfires at the start of the season, Kamamoto would be one of the biggest donators to the Red Cross and other organizations, having over $750,000 in NIL money donated. United States President Joe Biden would give him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest ranking civilian honor in the United States becoming the first ever active college football player to receive the award and the youngest person ever to win it at 19.
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| Hawaii Rainbow Warriors | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 13 | 11 | 13-0 | 400 | 584 | 68.5 | 5,548 | 9.1 | 55 | 4 | 169.6 | 79 | 755 | 5.6 | 12 | |
| 2023 | 14 | 14 | 14-0 | 333 | 500 | 66.6 | 5,294 | 9.1 | 54 | 5 | 168.5 | 113 | 984 | 3.4 | 16 | |
| Career | 27 | 25 | 27-0 | 733 | 1,084 | 67.5 | 10,842 | 9.2 | 109 | 9 | 169.3 | 192 | 1,739 | 4.5 | 28 | |
Professional Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
220 lb (100 kg) |
36+1⁄2 in (0.93 m) |
10+1⁄2 in (0.27 m) |
4.47 (1st) s | 1.65 s | 2.80 s | 4.35 (3rd) s | 7.01 (3rd) s | 24.5 (12th) | 9 10 (3rd) | 32 (1st) reps | 36 |
| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Kamamoto performed in the NFL Combine on March 19 and his College Pro Day on March 21 after entering the draft following Super Bowl LVIII. Following this, the Buffalo Bills contacted Kamamoto notifying him that the Bills would send their first round pick (24), Nick Chubb and Max Duggan to the Denver Broncos in exchange for the first overall pick and a third round pick (75) and planned to select him first overall. Following this publication of this announcement, Kamamoto signed a multi-year deal with the Canandaigua, New York-based supermarket chain Wegmans. Kamamoto was described as a "lock" for the number one overall selection and was selected by the Buffalo Bills. Kamamoto was drafted along with WR Amari Taylor and HB Deshaun Woodbury and was immediately made a captain for the team.
Buffalo Bills:
Kamamoto did not play in the preseason but would start Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, on the first play of the game the Seahawks' would use their home-field advantage and cause a false start, with decibel levels reaching over 120.4 being the loudest crowd in NFL history. During the halftime break, severe weather warnings would be issued and a rain storm would hit in the third quarter which led to a lightning delay and a power outage delay which set back Sunday Night Football to resume at 11:30pm EST. Kamamoto came out and said that this caused a serious change in the teams' game plan. The Bills would return from the delays with 2:12 left in the 3rd and Kamamoto would lead the team to be tied 35-35 at the 2 minute warning. Kamamoto would lose the overtime coin toss and lose in overtime 41-35. This would be his first loss since 7th grade varsity football. In Week 8 against the Texans, Kamamoto would break multiple ribs and miss 5 weeks.
He would win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and AFC Best Quarterback at the NFL Honors. In the wild card round, Kamamoto would rush for over 50 yards and throw for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns to win 31-14. In the divisional round against the Cincinnati Bengals, the game would be delayed due to a weather storm in Buffalo to Monday at 4:35pm EST and Kamamoto would only throw for 150 yards in regulation, before scoring a touchdown and having Justin Tucker kick the game winning FG in overtime to win 20-17. Justin Tucker would also kick another game-winning FG in the AFC Championship Game vs the New England Patriots to win 24-21 and advance to Super Bowl LIX. Against the 14-3 Green Bay Packers, Kamamoto would only pass 15 times but lead a game-winning drive with Raheem Mostert sealing the 20-13 win for his first Super Bowl win. Mostert would win Super Bowl MVP and retire following the game.
In 2026, Kamamoto would get league MVP votes but not improve on his record after missing 2 games. He would throw for 4,327 yards and 40 touchdowns on 12 interceptions. At the NFL Honors, Kamamoto would win Offensive Player of the Year. He would break his rushing totals as well and play the New England Patriots in a snowy wild card game and win 17-7. The team would go on to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rematch of their thriller during the season. The Bills would lose to a last second touchdown by Pittsburgh to win 44-45. The game was voted NFL Game of the Year at the NFL Honors.
In Week 2 of his third season against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kamamoto suffered a dislocated hip and missed 4 weeks. The rest of the season went well however, throwing 40 touchdowns to 7 interceptions with 3,729 yards and leading the Bills to the one seed in the AFC and an 11-6 record. He would get 2 MVP votes but lose out to Kendall Drayton of the San Francisco 49ers. Kamamoto would help the Bills dominate the New England Patriots in the divisional round of the 2026 playoffs to advance to the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. They would win against them in an ugly game 29-10 to advance to Super Bowl LXI against the Minnesota Vikings, the one seed with the best defense in the NFL at the time. At the end of the first quarter, Kamamoto's Buffalo Bills would trail 17-0 before tying the game at halftime. There would be no punts in the second half bringing the game into overtime, but Kamamoto would throw an interception to lose 37-31.
In the next season, the Bills would announce plans to keep Kamamoto for the long-term but rebuild around him. Kamamoto would start 10-0 before getting hurt and going 3-3 after missing a game. Running back Shyheim Short missed over 7 games towards the end of the season which also contributed to the losing streak but would help the team bounce back at the end. In a game against the Cleveland Browns, he threw a 99-yard pass to Tyquan Thornton in the first quarter to cement himself amongst great passers that include Tom Brady, Brett Favre and more. Kamamoto would be presented with the 2027 NFL MVP at the NFL Honors, the first of his career. He would also be introduced as a Co-Offensive Player of the Year with teammate Shyheim Short. He would score 8 total touchdowns in a win against the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round and beat the Las Vegas Raiders 42-7 in the AFC Championship Game. They would play the Washington Commanders in Super Bowl LXII and win 27-24 after a game-winning FG.
Regular Season and Playoffs:
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Fumbles | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Y/G | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | |||
| 2024 | BUF | 14 | 14 | 10-4 | 127 | 240 | 52 | 3,862 | 16.1 | 297.1 | 93 | 37 | 7 | 125.6 | 47 | 595 | 12.7 | 40 | 5 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2025 | BUF | 15 | 15 | 10-5 | 182 | 302 | 60 | 4,357 | 14.4 | 256.3 | 98 | 40 | 12 | 127.4 | 77 | 956 | 12.4 | 35 | 13 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2026 | BUF | 13 | 13 | 8-5 | 121 | 215 | 56 | 3,729 | 17.3 | 266.4 | 89 | 40 | 7 | 127.0 | 53 | 877 | 16.5 | 64 | 14 | - | - | |
| 2027 | BUF | 16 | 16 | 14-2 | 224 | 348 | 64 | 5,114 | 14.7 | 319.6 | 99 | 50 | 5 | 141.4 | 73 | 833 | 11.4 | 68 | 7 | - | - | |
NFL Career Records:
- Most passing touchdowns in a game by a rookie: 5 (tied w/ C. J. Stroud)
List of National Football League Most Valuable Player Winners
| Year | EA Sports Madden Vote | NFL on NBC Vote: | Associated Press Vote: | NFL on ESPN Vote: | NFL on CBS vote: | Winner and score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lamar Jackson | Lamar Jackson | Lamar Jackson | Lamar Jackson | Taylor Kamamoto | Lamar Jackson (90%) |
| 2025 | Taylor Kamamoto | Micah Parsons | Micah Parsons | Taylor Kamamoto | Micah Parsons | Micah Parsons (60%) |
| 2026 | Taylor Kamamoto | Kendall Drayton | Taylor Kamamoto | Kendall Drayton | Kendall Drayton | Kendall Drayton (60%) |
| 2027 | Taylor Kamamoto | Taylor Kamamoto | Taylor Kamamoto | Taylor Kamamoto | Taylor Kamamoto | Taylor Kamamoto (100%) |
Shyheim Short
| No. 28 – Buffalo Bills | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | January 1, 2005 (age 22) Nashville, Tennesee |
| Height: | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight: | 325 lb (147 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Montgomrey BA (Nashville) |
| College: | Tennessee (2024-2026) |
| NFL draft: | 2026 / Round: 5 / Pick: 187 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Shareef O'Neal Short (born January 1, 2005) is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Short played 2 seasons of college football at the University of Tennessee before being selected 187th overall in the 2026 NFL draft. Short has broken multiple rushing records for the Buffalo Bills and on October 3, 2028 broke the single-game rushing record previously held by Adrian Peterson. Short is 5'5 and 325 pounds, with a BMI of 54.1, being the highest in NFL history and being considered as arguably the greatest pound-for-pound running back in the league.
Short played all 17 games in his rookie season and tracked 1,056 yards with 13 touchdowns. This would be enough to earn him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors along with being selected to his first Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro. In his second season in the NFL. He would be placed on injured reserve following Week 12 after suffering an ACL sprain. His 20 touchdowns in 12 games is 10th all time for the single season record and the Bills would go on to win Super Bowl LXII despite him not playing. In his third season with the Bills, Short would break the all-time record for most rushing yards in a game with 314 yards and would also record 5 touchdowns in the game which is tied for second all-time. This would come as a result of Taylor Kamamoto being injured in the first quarter, which has came in many of his historic performances.
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2026 | BUF | 17 | 17 | 157 | 1,056 | 6.7 | 75 | 13 | 18 | 209 | 11.6 | 51 | 2 | - | - |
| 2027 | BUF | 12 | 12 | 154 | 1,029 | 6.7 | 68 | 20 | 24 | 554 | 23.1 | 80 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| 2028 | BUF | ||||||||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||||||