Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is no stranger to lingering injuries, suffering through nagging bumps and bruises through each of the last two seasons.
But it’s a much more significant injury that has been hampering Allen this year, an insider revealed on Dec. 22. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that Allen suffered a broken left hand in the team’s Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals, which forced him to take precautions for much of the season but did not knock Allen out of any games.
Though Allen’s hand injury has been apparent as he wore a protective glove after the game, Rapoport’s report revealed for the first time the true severity of the hand injury.
Josh Allen Finally Healed
Though the broken bothered Allen for several weeks, Rapoport reported that he is finally back to full health as the Bills enter a critical stretch of the season.
“Sources say Allen has played through most of his MVP-caliber season with a fractured left hand,” Rapoport wrote. “Now fully healthy as his team prepares to play the Patriots today, Allen wasn’t for much of the 2024 season.”
Rapoport wrote that Allen suffered the injury when going airborne on a touchdown run, where he was shoved while in the air and fell hard onto his left, non-throwing hand. At the time, Allen said he knew he was taking a risk when he went airborne near Cardinals safety Budda Baker.
“The first rushing touchdown, I kind of lowered the shoulder, knowing that was a corner,” the Bills quarterback said of his first touchdown, via ESPN. “Second time, I knew it was Budda, and Budda’s a good player and he’ll lay the boom on you, so I decided to go up and over, but probably can’t make a living doing that, but here we are.”
The Bills now face what could be an important stretch of the season, trailing the Kansas City Chiefs by two games for the No. 1 overall seed. The Bills must win all three of their remaining games and hope the Chiefs — who moved to 14-1 with a win on Saturday — lose both of their last two games for the Bills to earn a playoff bye week.
Josh Allen’s MVP Season
Rapoport wrote that the new report on the severity of Allen’s hand injury only adds to his already robust MVP resume. The Bills quarterback is considered the frontrunner for the NFL’s top individual honor, taking the lead over Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“While it was known Allen had a hand injury — he was on the injury report until after Buffalo’s Week 12 bye — the severity and nature of his injury was not previously known. All it does now is add some context to the ridiculousness of what Allen has done this season,” Rapoport wrote.
The NFL Network insider added that Allen has led a team predicted by many to miss the playoffs to an 11-3 record, clinching their fifth straight AFC East title in early December.
“In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, with several big-name, high-priced veterans including Diggs being shipped out, Allen has thrived,” Rapoport wrote. “Allen’s 25 TD passes against five interceptions has helped him to a 103.5 passer rating for an offense that is functioning better than at any point last year.”
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