ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Josh Allen’s broad grin was familiar. The wedding band on the quarterback’s ring finger was brand new.

As much as Allen hoped to talk about the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, the newlywed couldn’t escape questions about his headline-grabbing marriage to actor/singer Hailee Steinfeld in Southern California on May 31.

“We’re back to football,” he said, before pointing to his ring finger. “Got some hardware now. So, good to go.”

Allen was otherwise short on details as part of his longstanding bid to maintain a semblance of privacy, even though pictures from the outdoor wedding were posted on social media mere minutes after the couple exchanged “I do’s.” There were pictures of Steinfeld wearing a strapless white gown walking down the aisle, the couple sharing a kiss, and Allen, in a black tuxedo, posing with friends and Bills teammates.

It wasn’t until being asked about what the past four months have meant to him — in which Allen was named NFL MVP in February, signed one of the league’s richest contracts in March and got married in May — that Allen finally opened up.

He called Steinfeld his best friend, and said she makes everything easier.

“That was the most important decision I’ll make in my life and I made the right one,” Allen said.

Western New York and the NFL have a new power couple, both of whom happen to be from California and began dating two years ago.

There’s the 29-year-old Allen, who in seven seasons has set most of the Bills scoring and passing records. His star has continued to rise while he has transformed the Bills into an AFC power, also building his profile through various national commercials.

And then there’s Steinfeld, 28, who first gained fame by earning an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers’ 2010 remake of “True Grit.” She has since enjoyed numerous starring roles, most recently in the movie “Sinners,” while also branching out into music.

Amid the buzz, Allen brought the focus back to football as Buffalo opened a three-day mandatory set of practices. The quarterback skipped the team’s voluntary sessions last week.

Aside from taking his familiar spot leading the offense on the field, Allen spent time after practice being filmed to measure his footwork and mechanics. It’s something Allen does several times a year to ensure he’s not picking up bad habits.

“Making sure we’re staying on top of those things and if there’s something that we need to tweak for the better, we are going to try to do it,” he said.

The same could be said of Allen’s unflinching approach to dealing with the spotlight. Coach Sean McDermott credits the quarterback for staying true to himself.

“What I’ve seen is this truly genuine, authentic person who, yes, is in the limelight, yes, is one of the top players in our league, and maybe the top player in the NFL,” McDermott said. “But he is so authentic, so down-to-earth, so relatable. I think that’s really the connection and the cool piece about Josh is because he is who he is.”

And yes, McDermott was among those in attendance at the wedding.

“I was very grateful to be there, No. 1,” McDermott said. “Two, it was what you would expect of a wedding. Just great to see, and two really special families coming together.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl