Josh Allen’s availability for this coming weekend’s Buffalo Bills-Carolina Panthers game is very much in doubt after tests revealed he suffered a concerning foot sprain in the Bills’ loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday. If Allen cannot play, former first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky will make his first start of the season.
Update 12/17/21: According to Ian Rapoport, Josh Allen is officially off the Bills’ injury report and has been given no injury status for Sunday’s game vs. the Panthers, meaning he is expected to start with his sprained foot.
Will Josh Allen play in Week 15 despite his foot injury?
Allen’s left foot was in a walking boot when he met with reporters after Sunday’s game. It’s unclear exactly when in the game he was injured, but he played with a noticeable limp late in the contest. Allen told reporters he wasn’t sure what the precise nature of the injury was and would undergo additional testing Monday.
“Finished the game on it, so I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal,” Allen told reporters Sunday, adding that “it’s pretty sore. It’s football. There was no way I was going out.”
While team doctors cleared Allen to continue playing, Monday’s tests revealed an injury worrisome enough that Allen might not practice Wednesday. Head coach Sean McDermott also expressed real uncertainty if Allen would play against the Panthers. The limited details McDermott shared Monday made Allen’s performance against the Bucs even more impressive. He threw for over 300 yards and ran for 109, accounting for all 3 of Buffalo’s touchdowns.
“Give me a pair of pads. I’ll play right next to him,” McDermott said of Allen. “If you’re a player, you love that. That’s what you want. That’s why he’s the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills.”
Mitchell Trubisky to start against the Panthers?
However, Allen might not be the quarterback of the Bills in Week 15. Trubisky has logged just 28 snaps this year after joining Buffalo following four years with the Chicago Bears, completing 5 of 7 passes for 28 yards and an interception.
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“Very confident in Mitchell Trubisky,” McDermott said. “He had a really good preseason. He’s continued to progress through the year. Very appreciative of his team-first approach for a guy who hasn’t typically been in that [backup] role prior to coming here. That takes a lot of character. I’m proud of him for it, and he’ll be ready if and when his number is called.”
