ORCHARD PARK, NY (WKBW) — Will Josh Allen play at all this preseason? Even the fourth-year QB doesn't know the answer to that question.
Allen sat out of the team's first preseason game against the Detroit Lions last Friday, along with several other projected starters. With two preseason games left, including this weekend's road trip to Chicago, Allen hasn't been told whether or not he'll see any action but if and when he does, he'll be ready.
"If I play, I play. If I don't, I don't," Allen said. "I'll be ready either way. I have no say whether I play or not."
A lot of people will tend to agree with the decision to sit Allen not just for the first preseason game, but for the entire season. No one wants their newly-extended QB, signing a $258M contract about a week ago, to get hurt. But while there are risks there are also benefits, like getting some of those kinks out and feeling a hit or two.
"The soreness you feel after a game, especially game one, is so different than practice," Allen explained. "Whether you take one hit or 100 hits, you wake up that next morning and you're like, alright, I haven't felt like that in a while. Eventually throughout the season you get used to it, and you know what to expect. But it kind of jumps on you after that first game."
With Allen sitting out and Mitch Trubisky only playing a quarter, Davis Webb saw a lot of action. He finished 11-of-16 for 90 yards and a touchdown and added 26 yards on the ground. Webb has been with the Bills since September 2019 when he was signed to the practice squad [where he's primarily remained]. While he hasn't had the chance to show what he can do during the regular season, he's impressed Allen throughout Camp.
"He's athletic, man. I think he might have me in speed - I don't want to admit that," Allen laughed. "He's tall, he's lengthy, but he can move a little bit. It's been a great relationship, he means a lot to me, and he means a lot to this team."
They all do. The entire quarterback room deserves some recognition, according to Allen, who sat back and watched them reap the benefits from all their hard work during Camp. With Trubisky, Webb, and Jake Fromm all fighting to be the team's QB2, Allen has seen a lot of potential.
"Having that type of want and drive from the guys that were playing, it carries over into the season," he said. "These games mean a lot to a lot of different players. So getting to sit back and watch my buddies do good and have fun and make plays out there, it's exciting for me."
