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Josh Allen Week 5 Health Update After Only Four Rush Yards in Bills' First Loss

The Buffalo Bills' franchise quarterback directly answered a question about the hhealth of his knee on Thursday in Orchard Park.
Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA;  Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots
Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen took a hit on his left knee against the Los Angeles Chargers on September 27, but he subsequently avoided a trip to the official Week 4 injury report.

Now, with the Bills preparing for a Week 5 appearance on Monday Night Football, Allen strongly dismissed any idea that the knee is an issue that's ultimately limiting his rushing attempts.

"There's no truth to that. Feeling great," said Allen following Thursday's practice in Orchard Park.

Josh Allen
Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) rushes for a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There was some speculation that Allen chose to cut back on his running in the October 4 loss to the New England Patriots as a means of protecting an injured knee. The elite dual threat did not take off to run when the pocket broke down against New England despite multiple opportunities to do so.

Allen carried five times for only four total yards in the 29-26 setback, but the fact that the Bills did not hesitate to call his number in multiple short yardage situations suggests that they weren't concerned about his knee.

It's also worth noting that after being hit on a fourth-quarter carry against the Chargers, Allen proceeded to rush twice more down the stretch in the Week 3 victory. After a one-yard touchdown rush, the quarterback ran for seven yards up the middle out of shotgun formation on his final carry in the 24-16 win.

Josh Allen
Sep 27, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) causing a fumble during the fourth quarter | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I'm not concerned with Josh," said Bills' head coach Joe Brady in the wake of the September 27 incident. "I'd love for him to not take some of the hits. He's a competitor, and I have to take that into consideration with some play calling as well."

We wrote about Brady potentially deciding to dial back Allen in the running game for now.

Josh Allen's foot fine?

Although unlikely, one has to wonder if Allen has felt any effects from the offseason foot surgery that had him on crutches for Brady's introductory press conference.

Attempting to avoid the Cleveland Browns' pass rush, Allen broke a bone in his foot in Week 16 last December. He played through the injury the rest of the way, opting for minor surgery not until after the Bills were eliminated.

Including playoffs, Allen has made 141 consecutive starts for the Bills.

While Allen was a full participant as expected on Thursday, there were multiple Bills' players who were absent at the week's first practice,

Josh Allen
Bills quarterback Josh Allen enters on crutches to a press conference at the Bills field house in Orchard Park on Jan. 29, 2026. He had minor foot surgery. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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Ralph Ventre
RALPH VENTRE

Ralph, a former college football conference administrator, brings 20+ years of media experience to Buffalo Bills ON SI. Prior to focusing on the Bills, he spent two years covering the New York Jets. Ventre initially joined the ON SI family in 2021, providing NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for NFL Draft Bible on FanNation. Ventre remains as an official voter for the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and the annual legacy awards. The Fordham University graduate is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.