Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was able to finish the game against the Arizona Cardinals after injuring his left hand on a fourth-quarter touchdown run, but is now unsure whether he might miss time in the future.
Allen fell hard on his left hand when he rushed for a 6-yard touchdown with 8:44 remaining in the fourth quarter of the team’s 34-28 win on September 8. He went to the sidelines to have his hand taped and backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky started warming up, but Allen was able to return and finish out the game.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Allen said he felt “fine” but expressed uncertainty about whether he could be forced to miss time.
Josh Allen Expects Testing
The Bills face a time crunch in the coming week, facing the division rival Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. With just four days before the team travels to Miami, Allen was asked whether he could be forced to miss time and was not able to provide a definitive answer.
“I’m not a doctor…I just kinda landed on it,” via reporter Dan Fetes on X.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg reported that the team gave Allen a postgame evaluation.
“Josh Allen just walked into the X-ray room,” Getzenberg wrote in a post on X. “Said during his press conference he probably would get an X-ray and that his hand is fine.”
Thursday’s game against the Dolphins could be a critical early test for the Bills, who won the division on the final game of last season with a win over the Dolphins in Miami. The Dolphins moved to 1-0 with a win on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, meaning the winner of Thursday’s game will have an early grip on the division.
Bills Could Face Big Decision at Quarterback
If Allen is unable to play on Thursday, the Bills would likely turn to backup Mitch Trubisky, who returned to the team after backing up Allen during the 2021 season. Tribusky missed the team’s final preseason game after suffering a knee injury in the team’s August 17 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, but was able to return to practice in the last week and cleared to return in full for Sunday’s game.
But Trubisky struggled during training camp and limited action in the preseason, leading to speculation that the team could bring in competition.
The Bills did add another veteran quarterback, signing former New York Jets and Miami Dolphins signal caller Mike White after the conclusion of the last preseason game. He has appeared in 14 total games with seven starts.
If Allen were forced to miss extended time, the team could turn to another former rival as a longer-term replacement. After Trubisky’s preseason struggles, WGR 550 reporter Joe DiBiase suggested the team could make a run at free agent Ryan Tannehill to back up Allen.
“If no starting job becomes available to him via injury, Ryan Tannehill would be a significant upgrade for the Bills at backup QB,” DiBiase shared on X. “This is a 3 win football team if Trubisky had to play.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty