Blue Jays Ernie Clement goes deep with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills

Ernie Clement is almost always willing to talk baseball, one of the most engaging personalities in a Blue Jays clubhouse teeming with them in 2025.

But if you want to see a truly animated version of the Jays infielder, get him going about his beloved Buffalo Bills.

The Rochester, N.Y., native is a huge fan of the NFL team and isn’t shy about sharing his opinion. All of which would have made a Friday visit to Orchard Park a special day for Clement.

In a meeting posted on the team’s social media accounts, Clement exchanged jerseys with Bills quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen as the team prepared for Sunday’s game in Cleveland against the Browns.

A video produced by the Bills social media team starts with Clement getting a tour of the new Buffalo stadium, which is scheduled to open next season. The producer asks Clement who he would be star-struck by.

“Probably Josh Allen,” he responds.

Clement a massive fan of Allen

Clement may have played a huge role in the Jays’ run to the brink of winning the third championship in franchise history before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of that thrilling World Series. But he’s also a massive Allen fan.

“How could you not be with this guy?” Clement says towards the end of the video, filmed on the indoor field at the Bills Orchard Park practice facility.

“Stop it. Stop it,” replies Allen, keen, himself, to see a player who had an integral role in a World Series that captivated the sports world.

The pair swap jerseys with autographed messages to each and Allen commenting on Clement’s No. 22: “Two-two was my favourite count in high school.”

Allen was a pitcher and a decent hitter in his high school days growing up in California, before turning his attention squarely to football. An all-star during his senior year, Allen reportedly reached 90 miles per hour with his fastball.

Allen has previously shown interest in Jays

Allen’s athleticism mirrors that of Clement, who was an all-star high school hockey player in Rochester before zooming in on his baseball career.

Allen has shown interest in the Jays during his time in Buffalo, throwing out a first pitch when the team was based in Western New York during COVID. In 2023, the Bills QB took batting practice with the Jays, launching four home run balls over the Rogers Centre wall.

Even then, Allen could see some of the signs that so defined the 2025 team.

“Just sitting here and talking with the guys, they’re so chill and they’re so focused on what they’ve got going on here in Toronto,” Allen told the Toronto Sun after he finished taking batting practice and shagging balls. “It seems like they’ve got a good vibe in the locker room, which is very fun to see.

“As a player and a leader in our locker room, to understand and see some different vibes, it was really cool to see what they’ve got going on.”

As for Clement, during his visit, he also had a chance to meet and chat with Bills coach Sean McDermott in the team’s locker room and later addressed the team during practice, where he also met team owner Terry Pegula.