Josh Allen, Bills starters to play in preseason opener against Carolina

A new coaching staff and another chance to get accustomed to Buffalo’s new stadium led to Bills coach Joe Brady’s decision to have Josh Allen and the rest of his healthy starters play in the team’s preseason opener against Carolina on Saturday.

“We obviously have a new everything,” Brady said Thursday. “So it’s our first opportunity for us to come together and show an example of what the Buffalo Bills are about. So I think that’s important.”

Brady is a first-year head coach, with Buffalo’s former offensive coordinator promoted to take over after Sean McDermott’s firing in January. The game will provide Brady an opportunity to get a feel for his new role, and working with a staff that’s undergone numerous changes this off-season.

And the outing presents the Bills a chance to get more accustomed to their new US$2.1-billion home in a game situation. The game comes a week after the Bills held their first practice in Highmark Stadium, built across the street from their former home.

For Allen, the preseason appearance will become his first in two years. The ninth-year player was held out of all three of Buffalo’s preseason games last year, and hasn’t made an appearance since playing the first quarter of the Bills preseason opener against Chicago on Aug. 10, 2024.

“New environment. New routine,” said Allen, who has previously been in favour of playing preseason games.

“We want to make sure this is real game-like as possible because it is a real game,” he added, looking ahead to Buffalo’s regular-season opener against Detroit on Sept. 17. “To have those reps before the first game when we have it here on Thursday night, just understanding the process behind everything and not being surprised by anything new.”

Among the items on Allen’s checklist include getting accustomed to the field – the Bills have made the switch to natural grass from artificial turf. There’s getting familiar with where the game clocks are situated, and also adjusting to the lights, which are now located below the roof canopy as opposed to being on top of towers overlooking the old field.

Brady said a final determination on who plays and how much will be made following practice.

First-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard had previously announced having his starters play on Saturday. Buffalo’s defence has undergone the most changes this off-season, with Leonhard introducing a 3-4 system and the unit expected to feature at least five new starters.

Several injured starters are not expected to play, including centre Connor McGovern, safeties C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cole Bishop and cornerback Maxwell Hairston. The four players have missed at least several days of practice, though Brady has not revealed their injuries or a timeline for their returns.

After travelling to Cleveland next week for a joint scrimmage followed by a preseason game on Aug. 22, the Bills will close their schedule by hosting Pittsburgh on Aug. 27.