Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has spent most of his recent offseasons recovering from nagging injuries he suffered during the season, but said this year is different.
Allen spoke to reporters at the team’s voluntary practices this week, revealing that he’s in his best health in years as the Bills prepare for the 2025 season. The Bills have put more effort into keeping Allen healthy, and the approach is now paying dividends.
Josh Allen Feeling ‘No Ailments’
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Allen said this is “the best I’ve felt physically after a season.” The Bills quarterback added that he didn’t take as many hits last season, along with an offensive approach that cut down on the number of times he carried the ball.
“Really didn’t have any ailments. I didn’t take too many hits this last year as the least sacked quarterback in the league,” Allen said. “And that’s thanks to the type of scheme that we’re running and how well our offensive line played. So the body felt good.”
After topping 120 carries in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Allen has cut down on the number of times he’s run the ball in each of the last two seasons. He rushed 102 times in 2024, amassing 531 yards on the ground with 12 rushing touchdowns.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have both emphasized the need for Allen to cut down on the number of hits he takes, especially on scrambles.
“The only thing I’d get on to him is he’s got too many bruises on him,” Beane said, via the Democrat & Chronicle. “And we’ve got to work on taking less hits. That’s the only reason I’m going to ever criticize Josh is just take less hits.”
Josh Allen Had to Adjust to Injuries
Allen has been forced to play through nagging injuries several times in recent seasons, often using time in the offseason to heal and re-adjust. As Sal Maiorana of the Democrat & Chronicle reported last July, Allen spent time California-based sports science company to fix the throwing mechanics he was forced to change after playing through a shoulder injury.
“I wouldn’t call it a complete overhaul of my throwing motion, but definitely some things to work on and clean up,” Allen said. “Anytime you go through something like that, sometimes it’s gonna feel really good, sometimes it’s not gonna feel really good. It’s just like changing your swing in golf, as long as you’re trusting it and you keep working on it, each and every day results will come.”
Allen said he’s been able to focus more on his game this year, spending time to work on reading defenses before the snap and working on his footwork.
“Pre-snap is what we’re looking at right now, just trying to help me identify what I’m seeing,” Allen told reporters on Tuesday. “Better with my footwork in certain routes and certain combinations, making sure that within the offense I’m doing a good job of setting the protections the right way, knowing where my answers are.”
