Josh Allen and rest of Bills starters expected to play in preseason opener against Carolina

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — 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 the Bills 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 offseason.

And the outing presents the Bills a chance to get more accustomed to their new $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.

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 defense has undergone the most changes this offseason, with Leonhard introducing a 3-4 system and the unit expected to feature at least five new starters.

After traveling 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.

Buffalo's regular-season home opener will be against Detroit on Sept. 17.

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