Josh Allen showed up to Joe Brady’s head coaching introductory press conference in January on crutches. He had a broken bone in his foot. Somehow, that was still underselling what he’d actually been playing through. Brady let the full picture slip at the Annual League Meeting last Saturday, revealing that his quarterback “could barely walk” during the final stretch of the 2025 season, all while absorbing a career-high 40 sacks. Now, with Allen recovering, Brady is thinking about how to make sure the 2025 season doesn’t become a blueprint.

“Every time he gets hit, he gets sacked; if he’s on the ground, it terrifies me,” Brady said on the Up & Adams Show. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m just like, ‘Hey Josh, you know, get up.’ So there’s a lot that comes with it, and I know he is ‘built different,’ like he pushes through it.”

“He takes a lot of pride with it, but it’s still a hit that you don’t want to take, and so I think as the season goes, you kind of see where you’re at in terms of how much—how many design runs you want with him. But you know, in the past game, he’s gonna scramble and do some of those things. I’m just hoping that he continues to slide a little more.”

However, Allen seems to understand what Brady is getting at. Back in 2021 and 2022, he often rushed for over 700 yards and loved those extra runs. Now, he’s pulling back a little on that part of his game. By 2025, he was under 600 rushing yards, but his overall contribution to the team didn’t really change.

He scored 14 rushing touchdowns, just one shy of his best. His competitive spirit was still evident. After being named MVP in 2024, he added 39 total touchdowns last season. However, the playoff defeat against the Broncos highlighted the dangers of his “hero ball” style.

In that game, the Bills Mafia faced a tough time. Allen lost the ball four times, with a crucial fumble giving Denver easy points before halftime. Then, in overtime, he threw an interception on Buffalo’s only drive, ending a frustrating game that also included a controversial late call.

Because of that, Allen has already started thinking differently.

“If I can sit in the pocket and be 25-of-25 and don’t have to run around, I would love to do that,” Allen told the hosts on First Things First. “As I get older and less athletic…I’m still not there yet. I think you have until you’re 32 to be in your prime. I feel like I’ve still got some time to run around and make some plays. At the same time, I’m just trying to find ways to help this team win some football games.”

So, Josh Allen is starting to see things differently, and that’s a good thing for the team. This new approach might be just what the Buffalo Bills need to make a serious playoff push.

Joe Brady provides an update on Josh Allen’s injury

Josh Allen’s injury became a hot topic toward the end of last season. The Buffalo Bills quarterback played through the end of the season with a broken bone in his right foot, which eventually needed surgery.

The operation fixed a small bone in his foot, usually taking about 8 to 10 weeks to heal. That’s why people are feeling more confident about when he’ll be back on the field. And just a week ago, Joe Brady didn’t sound worried when he shared the latest update from the annual league meeting.

“He’s good to go,” Joe Brady said at the annual league meeting. “The thing about Josh Allen, he got surgery after the season, but he’s playing as if you think there’s nothing wrong with him. The guy could barely walk, and then he’s playing games, and it’s not impacting [his play]. He’s built differently. And let’s hope it continues that way, but he’ll be good to go in the offseason.”

However, Josh Allen’s injury didn’t just happen suddenly. Throughout the season, he encountered significant pressure, as defenses sacked him a record 40 times while he frequently attempted to make plays outside the pocket. Interestingly, defenses still had a 29.6% pressure rate against him, which is actually the lowest of his career, according to Next Gen Stats.

Still, Bills Mafia saw their QB1 deliver another strong season despite the setbacks. Allen threw for 3,668 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while adding 579 rushing yards and 14 scores on the ground.

So, now let’s see how Allen and Brady plan the new season.