PITTSFORD, N.Y. — The wait to see quarterback Josh Allen play for the revamped Buffalo Bills offense will be short. Coach Sean McDermott announced Thursday that Allen and the first team will play about one quarter on Saturday against the Chicago Bears (1 p.m. ET).
“For me, it’s really about getting them ready for the season,” McDermott said. “It’s a big step. It’s hard to simulate the pace of the game, and getting that in the preseason is important. You have to be able to manage the energy that comes with warming up and playing in front of fans, and be able to manage that. So, like I said, it’s just another step.”
The quarterback play is expected to get a lot of attention in this game, with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams likely to make his first preseason appearance, though that hasn’t been announced yet.
In 2023, Allen did not play in the first preseason game, but played in the third series in the second preseason game and made a brief appearance in the third game.
“We’re just going to take it one week at a time,” McDermott said of Allen’s preseason minutes. “So, you know, we’ve got a lot of new faces on our offense, including our receivers. So some of that is in there. But the most important thing is to prepare individually. We’ve got to go from there.”
The Bills are missing several players due to injuries, but the game against the Bears will be the first opportunity to see how new additions to the offense, such as rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, perform on the field. Offensive players who are dealing with injuries include running back Ty Johnson (hamstring), wide receivers Chase Claypool (toe), Justin Shorter (knee), Mack Hollins (leg) and KJ Hamler (undisclosed).
Allen did not give a strong indication of whether he would travel when asked about it before the decision was made on Thursday.
“I don’t think it makes a difference to me at this point in my career,” Allen said Wednesday of the possibility of playing in the preseason. “It would be nice to get things rolling, but I understand not going out there and making sure we’re healthy and protected. Again, it’s a double-edged sword no matter how you look at it. If I’m asked to play, I’ll play. If I’m asked not to play, I won’t play. So the competitive side of me wants to play, but I understand that there’s some time left in Week 1.”
The game is expected to be notable for its quarterback play, with No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams set to make his NFL debut. Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Williams and his injured starters will make “a variety of plays” in Buffalo, but did not specify a time frame.
“[Williams has] “It’s going to feel similar because we’ve had a lot of good reps with our one-back, but when we’re playing live in the pocket, moving in the pocket, maneuvering, riding the pocket, getting out to the outside, B-gap, all of that stuff, getting the ball, keeping our eyes down the field, really feeling like we can run it,” Eberflus said. “Getting in and out of the huddle. No pre-snap penalties. It’s a clean run.”
