Bomani Jones baselessly accuses ‘White folks’ of favoring Josh Allen, while he favors Black quarterbacks
Fox News's OutKick column criticises former ESPN host Bomani Jones for claiming, without evidence, that "White folks" are biased in favour of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen ahead of the NFL season, while accusing him of consistently favouring Black quarterbacks over White ones. The piece argues Jones has repeatedly framed quarterback comparisons through race rather than performance, a pattern it says undermines his credibility as an analyst and has drawn criticism even from his own listeners.
The article cites several examples: Jones claimed pressure was unfairly heaped on Lamar Jackson rather than Allen despite both teams replacing head coaches, and that he was reportedly unaware the Ravens had hired Jesse Minter. It also notes he previously said Matthew Stafford needed to win a Super Bowl for the Hall of Fame despite Stafford having already won one, and that he currently rates Kyler Murray above Super Bowl winner Sam Darnold while doubting White quarterbacks such as Justin Herbert and Drake Maye in favour of Black quarterbacks including Jayden Daniels and Dak Prescott. Neither Jones nor his podcast guest, The Ringer's Diante Lee, responded to OutKick's request for evidence of the alleged bias.
- Bomani Jones accused "White folks" of favouring Josh Allen without evidence.
- Article says he consistently favours Black quarterbacks in comparisons.
- Jones and guest Diante Lee declined to substantiate the bias claim.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of Jones’s point may argue that race can shape how fans and media interpret quarterback traits, with similar performances sometimes described differently depending on the player. They may see discussion of Allen’s favourable reception as a legitimate invitation to examine longstanding patterns in NFL coverage, rather than a claim that every white fan is motivated by prejudice.
The case against
Critics may argue that attributing support for Allen to race is unfair without clear evidence about individual fans’ motives, especially when his record and playing style provide straightforward sporting reasons for admiration. They may also contend that race-conscious evaluations risk reproducing the very group-based assumptions they seek to challenge, and that players should primarily be judged on performance.