Getty Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills looks on as he walks off the field after defeating the New England Patriots 33-21 at Gillette Stadium on December 26, 2021 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Josh Allen will be watching the first Buffalo Bills preseason game from the bench.
Head coach Sean McDermott announced on August 10 that both Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs will be sitting out the team’s preseason game on Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts. Allen had suffered a series of injury scares in training camp, and the Bills will now be able to use the time to evaluate struggling backup quarterback Kyle Allen.
Bills Giving Key Starters a Break
While Allen and Diggs will not play in the team’s August 12 preseason opener, other starters will see time. As Sal Capaccio of WGR 550 reported on Twitter, the Bills plan to play all other starters for close to a quarter of the game.
Coach McDermott: Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs will not play in Saturday’s preseason game. #INDvsBUF
The Bills have been judicious in playing Allen in the preseason before, and the Bills quarterback has proven to excel even with little work in preseason games. His breakout season in 2020 came after the NFL canceled all preseason games due to fears of COVID-19.
The decision to keep Allen on the bench this weekend comes after the Bills quarterback was shaken up in training camp. Allen suffered injury scares in a pair of early practices, and again had to leave a practice with trainers this week before returning a short time later.
This week, Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said there were no immediate concerns about Allen’s health, but the team wanted to be more proactive in keeping him healthy. As Adam Zientek of AtoZ Sports reported, Dorsey made it clear that the team wanted to see Allen taking fewer hits this season.
“Dorsey, looking to Allen’s future, also discussed how there is some thought to managing Allen as the years go on,” Zientek reported. “The superstar quarterback will probably have to limit the amount of hits he takes that are self-inflicted.”
Backup Quarterback Battle Could Be Key
Josh Allen’s absence could give the Bills a chance to evaluate the backup quarterback situation, which has become a concern in training camp as No. 2 Kyle Allen has struggled. As Ryan Talbot of NYup.com reported, the backup quarterback had difficulty in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage on August 4.
“Kyle Allen struggled mightily at Highmark Stadium on Friday night and much of it had to do with botched snap,” Talbot wrote. “He had around four mishandled snaps at Friday’s scrimmage and wasn’t particularly sharp passing the ball. He had one nice touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield, but the play had been whistled and stopped by the official in the backfield. Kyle Allen seemed like a fine No. 2 quarterback option at the time of his signing, but he has left much to be desired.”
The Bills signed Allen after losing Case Keenum in free agency. Allen has some past experience as an NFL starter, leading the Carolina Panthers to a four-game winning streak after taking over for the injured Cam Newton in 2019. Allen ended up with 12 starts that year, throwing for 3,322 yards with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.
The Bills have only one other quarterback on the roster, veteran Matt Barkley who spent last season on the practice squad.