Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is bringing in some help after a painful — and bloody — injury last week against the New York Jets.
Allen took a shot to the face during a second-quarter run, leaving him with a bleeding and swollen nose. Though Allen was able to return to the game, the Bills quarterback is taking a new measure to keep his face safe in the future.
Josh Allen’s New Visor
After the team had a walk-through on Monday, Allen returned to practice on Tuesday sporting a visor over his helmet. The Bills quarterback said he was “a little bruised up” but ready to play on Thursday against the Miami Dolphins.
Allen added that he would likely wear the visor again for the primetime game against the Dolphins.
“We’ll see. We’ll probably wear it in the game,” Allen told reporters on Tuesday. “Just trying to get used to it.”
Allen has needed some protective padding in the past, including a padded glove that he wore for a stretch last season after suffering a broken bone in his non-throwing hand. Allen hurt the hand during a touchdown run in a Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals, with the hand continuing to bother him throughout the season.
The Bills quarterback has nursed other injuries in previous seasons, often devoting his offseason time to resting and rehabilitating.
Allen told reporters that he has never worn a visor in the NFL, though did wear one in college at Wyoming.
Backup Mitch Trubisky came into the game in relief of Allen in Sunday’s game, with the Bills quarterback rushing to the sidelines to have the team’s medical staff stop the bleeding. After Trubisky converted a big third-down pass on what ended up being a scoring drive, Allen returned to the game.
“Obviously gushing blood,” Allen told reporters after the game. “I just wanted to try to get off the field and stop it.”
Josh Allen Earned Praise for Toughness
Allen earned some kudos from his teammates for his toughness in returning to Sunday’s game so quickly after he suffered a bloody injury. Left tackle Dion Dawkins, the longest-tenured member of the offense, said the return showed his quarterback’s mettle.
“It shows Josh is not a fake. It shows he wears that MVP title,” Dawkins said, via The Athletic. “Anybody could have came out and sat on the sideline and said, ‘Yeah, take your time. My nose is bleeding. I’m not going back in.’
“Instead, he comes right back in with two bloody nose plugs, and he can’t even breathe. It shows the type of kid he is.”
Dawkins offered some lofty comparisons for Allen.
“No,” he responded. “Josh is tough like Conor McGregor. Josh is tough like (Jon) Bones Jones. He’s tough like (Sean) O’Malley. He’s tough like Jorge Masvidal. He’s a top fighter. He can compete at any level.
“I’ve been playing with that kid for eight years. Every game he takes a leap.”
The Bills have a chance to seize an early division lead, facing a Dolphins team that has stumbled to an 0-2 start.
Bills QB Josh Allen Takes New Precaution After Painful Injury