The Buffalo Bills suffered a surprising loss at the hands of the division rival New York Jets on Sunday, but perhaps more importantly, their star quarterback did not emerge from the game unscathed.
Josh Allen told assembled media after the game ended that he was feeling "slight pain" in his right (throwing) elbow, according to Pro Football Talk. Allen added that he will "work through it" this week ahead of Buffalo's Week 10 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The quarterback is reportedly being evaluated for an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) and related nerves, according to ESPN. The team is expected to know more in the next 24 hours, per head coach Sean McDermott. Allen will undergo more tests to determine the severity of the injury and what the next steps are.
"We're going through it," McDermott told reporters on Monday, per The Athletic. "We're evaluating. We'll see where it goes. I'll probably be able to check in with you guys on Wednesday."
Allen is expected to be limited in practice this week, according to NFL.com.
As the Bills were trying to stage a last-minute comeback toward the end of the game, Allen dropped back to pass and came under pressure by Jets edge rusher Bryce Huff. As he unloaded to throw the ball, Huff brought his arms down hard on the ball and knocked it free. Allen could then be seen shaking his arm and flexing his hand following the play, which resulted in a strip-sack.
#Bills QB Josh Allen after the strip sack. pic.twitter.com/gD4hcypCeD
— Nick Jacobs (@Jacobs71) November 6, 2022
Allen ended up unleashing a ridiculous, 70-something-yard laser down the field to Gabe Davis two snaps later, but Davis could not haul it in and Buffalo's day ended in defeat.
It will be important to watch Allen's practice status throughout this week. As long as he gets in at least some limited sessions, he should be able to suit up, but if he can't participate in any practices, it may be the Case Keenum show for the Bills' home game next weekend. With the Bills now having fallen back to the pack in he AFC a bit after this loss to the Jets, that would be less than ideal.