Getty Josh Allen runs the ball in a game against the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen battled through an elbow injury for the second half of the 2022 season, and insiders are now revealing that the ailment was more severe than many knew at the time.
Allen was hurt in the team’s Week 9 loss to the New York Jets, and was initially listed as questionable for the following game against the Minnesota Vikings. Allen remained in the starting lineup for that game and didn’t end up missing any time, but NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on February 12 that it could have been much worse for the Bills quarterback.
“The extent of the injury, originally reported as a UCL sprain, was worse than most knew,” they reported. “But as long as Allen avoided reinjury, which he has to this point, doctors always believed he could avoid surgery and heal up during the offseason.”
The report gave a more optimistic progonisis for the coming season, giving hope for a full recovery by the start of next season without the need for survey.
Josh Allen Continues to Improve
The report noted that Allen suffered a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament and associated tendon and muscle injuries, similar to the injury that sidelined him for four game in his rookie season. This year could have been much worse — they noted that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy suffered a complete UCL tear in the NFC Championship game, and will likely be out for the next six months after undergoing surgery.
But Pelissero and Rapoport noted that Allen has been able to benefit from rest and is on track to fully healthy for the upcoming season without the need for surgery.
#Bills QB Josh Allen is on track for the 2023 season after battling an elbow injury more significant than most of us knew. No surgery necessary, as rest and rehab are working. But it affected a lot.
Story from me and @TomPelissero:
Allen had already opened up about the injury after the conclusion of Buffalo’s season, saying in a January press conference that he still felt the effects as the season went on. That included the 27-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round that bounced the Bills from the playoffs.
“It just kind of felt like maybe I was trying to throw it a little differently, mechanically I had to change a few things, and got away a little bit from how I’m used to throwing the ball,” Allen siad. “That’s just kind of a by-product of that, but again, it didn’t affect me too much.”
Bills to Prioritize Protecting Allen
Though Allen initially suffered the injury while throwing from the pocket against the Jets, Bills general manager Brandon Beane made it clear after the season that he would like to see Allen taking fewer risks — and fewer hits. The Bills quarterback has been one of the team’s most effective rushers since joining the team in 2018, often inviting contact with defenders.
Beane said Allen needs to work on taking fewer hits in the future.
“The only thing I’d get on to him is he’s got too many bruises on him,” Beane said, via the Democrat & Chronicle. “And we’ve got to work on taking less hits. That’s the only reason I’m going to ever criticize Josh is just take less hits.”