Is Josh Allen Playing Today? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Jets vs. Bills)

The latest injury update for Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in Week 18 against the New York Jets.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen missed time in practice ahead of the team's Week 18 matchup with the New York Jets, but he returned on Friday and does not carry an injury designation into Sunday's game.

That's a sign that Allen will once again start for Buffalo, even though the team has very little to gain in the AFC playoff picture. The current No. 7 seed, Buffalo would need a win and losses by Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers to move up into the No. 5 seed. If it wins and one of those teams loses on Sunday, the Bills would jump to the No. 6 spot.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott said that Allen is "good to go" for Sunday's game.

#Bills QB Josh Allen (foot) back to practicing Friday after being a DNP the last two days.

HC Sean McDermott said Allen would be limited today but is "good to go" for the game Sunday vs. the Jets. TBD how much Allen actually plays in the regular season finale.#BillsMafia @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/6DQBRs6UiR

— Jonathan Acosta (@JAcostaTV) January 2, 2026

Still, it's possible the Bills could end up resting Allen after he plays a series or two on Sunday. In Week 18 last seaso, the Bills kept Allen's consecutive starts streak alive by playing him for the first snap against the New England Patriots before then sitting him the rest of the game.

It's possible a similar plan could be in motion this season, but the Bills may also want to win and hope they get the No. 5 seed, as they'll have an easier matchup against the AFC North winner in the first round of the playoffs.

Oddsmakers have adjusted the line for this game with Allen's status for the entire game still a mystery. The Bills opened up as 11.5-point home favorites in this game, but that line has since moved to Buffalo -8.5 at DraftKings.

That's a sign that there is some concern around Allen's status in Week 18, as the Jets have been awful in recent weeks and are better off losing on Sunday to secure a higher pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

This season, Allen has completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,668 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He's also added 579 yards and 14 scores on the ground.

If Allen ends up sitting out part of this game, backup Mitch Trubisky would likely take over under center for Buffalo. The Bills (11-5) have already clinched a playoff spot, so there is no fear of the team falling out of the race on Sunday.

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