ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen’s latest kneel-down had nothing to do with football.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback and actor Hailee Steinfeld posted a photo to their Instagram followers on Friday — 20.3 million for Steinfeld and a mere 1.3 million for Allen — of Allen on one knee proposing marriage. The picture was taken on a grassy ridge overlooking water, with the couple surrounded by candles and framed by a large arch covered in flowers.
The NFL reposted the picture on X to congratulate the pair on their engagement, with a message ending with a ring and heart emoji.
The setting was likely somewhere on the California coastline, where Allen lives in the offseason. And the proposal likely occurred sometime last week, when the Bills had a bye.
Allen didn’t reveal the engagement during his weekly news conference on Wednesday as the AFC East-leading Bills (9-2) prepare to host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. But he did smile widely when asked how he enjoyed his bye week.
“Fantastic. It was great. Got some sun. Hung out with family. It was fantastic,” he said.
Allen and Steinfeld were first linked in the spring of 2023, when they were photographed dining together in New York City. Months later, Allen acknowledged the two were dating, but asked The Associated Press not to mention Steinfeld by name in a bid to maintain a semblance of privacy.
Steinfeld has since begun attending Bills home games, and the couple hosted a Halloween party this fall.
The 27-year-old Steinfeld is from Los Angeles and began her acting career at age 10. She earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers’ 2010 remake of “True Grit.” She also received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the 2016 high school dramedy “The Edge of Seventeen.” Her other credits include “Bumblebee,” “Dickinson” and Marvel’s “Hawkeye,” along with voice roles in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and its sequel.
Steinfeld branched out into pop music after performing in 2015’s “Pitch Perfect 2.” She has released numerous singles and two EPs, including “Half Written Story” in 2020.
The 28-year-old Allen has become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and set many of Buffalo’s single-season and career passing and scoring records since being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft out of Wyoming.
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