The Buffalo Bills made it clear this week that quarterback Josh Allen would be taking the field against the Denver Broncos despite nursing a host of injuries.
On Thursday, they made it official.
The team announced the final injury report before Saturday’s divisional-round playoff game, noting that Allen would not carry an injury designation into the game. The Bills quarterback had been limited at practice to start the week as he healed from some bumps and bruises from the previous week, but will head into this weekend’s game with no doubt on his status.
Josh Allen’s Mounting Injuries
Allen is quite familiar with playing hurt. He has played through a number of significant injuries in recent seasons, including a broken hand in 2024 and a shoulder injury in 2023 that forced him to alter his throwing motion.
As ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg noted, Allen is currently dealing with a series of ailments from recent games.
“The quarterback has a lingering right foot injury he suffered in Week 16 vs. the Cleveland Browns, in addition to left knee and right finger injuries, both of which occurred in Sunday’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars,” Getzenberg wrote.
Allen was already trending in the right direction after being limited at practice on Tuesday, practicing in full on Wednesday and Thursday. The Bills quarterback made it clear early in the week that he was on the upswing.
“I feel good, I feel good,” Allen told reporters on Tuesday. “Honestly, I feel better than I have in the last few weeks. I know it’s a Tuesday for us, but on a Wednesday-type mindset.”
Allen took some big hits from an aggressive Jacksonville Jaguars defense in last week’s win, including a hit to the head that briefly sent him to the medical evaluation tent. Allen cleared concussion protocol and returned to the game without missing any time.
Bills Dealing With Several Other Injuries
While the reigning MVP will be on the field against the Broncos, the Bills will be missing some key players on defense. The team ruled out safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who both missed last week’s win over the Jaguars.
The Bills also suffered some big losses to their wide receiving corps, with both Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers suffering torn ACLs in the game.
The Bills also have several players listed as questionable for the game, including running back Ty Johnson and linebacker Terrel Bernard.
Some reinforcements could be on the way, with the Bills taking defensive tackle Ed Oliver and safety Damar Hamlin off injured reserve. The pair returned to practice and were listed as questionable.
Wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who spent much of the year on injured reserve, has also been able to return and could enter the lineup to make up for the losses of Davis and Shavers. Samuel had one of the best games of his season against the Broncos last year, making three receptions for 68 yards with a touchdown.
The Bills brought in more potential help for the receiving corps, signing veteran Kristian Wilkerson to the practice squad. Wilkerson had two previous stints with the team’s practice squad this season.
Bills Make Announcement on Josh Allen Days Before Broncos Game