Update on Josh Allen's knee injury: NFL medical expert gives the Bills a worrying diagnosis
Allen suffered the injury during a clash with the Los Angeles Chargers
J osh Allen finished the Buffalo Bills ' 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, September 28, but a late hit to his left knee has raised questions about his availability for Week 4.
Allen took a helmet to his left knee with 9:46 remaining in Sunday's game and immediately grimaced in pain. The Buffalo quarterback remained on the field and completed the game, but he was seen limping afterward.
The incident has prompted an early medical assessment from sports physician Jesse Morse , who believes Allen could be dealing with an MCL sprain and potentially a bone bruise. Morse stressed that the severity of any injury would determine how much time, if any, he could miss.
“Josh Allen Left knee injury,” Morse wrote on X.com, formerly known as Twitter. “Most likely: MCL sprain +/- bone bruise. If grade 1 sprain – likely plays Week 4.
“If grade 2 sprain – could miss 1-3 weeks + [down] in designed runs. Grade 2 + mensicus – 3+ weeks. If ACL involved – gets complicated, s/e. If bad meniscal tear – think Jaxson Dart.
“This may very well be a Grade 1, which would be okay; he’d probably play with a knee sleeve. But his mobility and rushing ability would be compromised. If this is moderate, there is a possibility he misses games.”
Morse subsequently explained that he believes a Grade 1 MCL strain is the more likely scenario, although his assessment does not establish an official diagnosis of the player who has rarely missed a game for Buffalo .
Another injury specialist, Dr. David Chao of Sports Injury Central , offered a more reassuring initial interpretation, saying Allen appeared "hurt, not injured" and noting that his foot was not planted when the contact occurred.
Bills escape Chargers test as Allen battles through
The injury concern came during a difficult afternoon for Allen , who threw two interceptions and lost a fumble while the Bills committed five turnovers. Buffalo nevertheless rallied from a 10-0 deficit to secure its third straight victory.
Allen finished 16-of-26 passing for 204 yards and added 22 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His second rushing score gave Buffalo its first lead with 7:35 remaining before James Cook 's 3-yard touchdown helped seal the result.
The Bills ' defense played a major role in protecting the victory as C.J. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Justin Herbert near the goal line and the defense repeatedly stopped the Chargers from turning promising red-zone possessions into touchdowns.
“Sitting there to be tied at halftime felt like a dream, to be honest,” Allen said. “Our defense played fantastic. It’s not a game that you expect to win, but we’ll take them any way we can get them.
“Overall, again, we won, but a lot of smoke detectors going off right now. We got to clean a lot of stuff up.”
Allen 's ability to remain in the game means there is no indication from Sunday's action alone that he will miss the Week 4 matchup with the New England Patriots . However, the medical evaluations surrounding his knee will be important during the coming week.
Buffalo is now 3-0 and will host New England on October 4. Allen's status will remain a major storyline as the Bills begin preparations for their next game in an all- AFC East clash.
