Bills to field healthy starters, including Josh Allen, in preseason opener against Panthers

The Buffalo Bills will start their preseason on Saturday at Highmark Stadium against the Carolina Panthers with head coach Joe Brady indicating that every healthy player, including quarterback Josh Allen, will take the field. Brady said he wants to see players experience contact and complete plays as the team begins to coalesce under a new coaching staff.

Allen’s participation may be limited to this first exhibition game, as the coaching staff typically reserves later preseason contests for backups. Brady emphasized that Allen will play with his usual competitiveness while remaining mindful of the preseason context.

Defensive line coach Jim Leonhard noted that interior linemen are still being evaluated in various positions, with Ed Oliver, TJ Sanders and Deone Walker as presumptive starters. Landon Jackson, returning to a familiar role, is challenging Sanders for playing time, and a competition between DeWayne Carter and Phidarian Mathis for the backup nose-tackle spot is also underway.

The backup quarterback competition features Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele, both of whom have yet to distinguish themselves in practice. Brady said the role is difficult because players receive few repetitions, but he is confident in both quarterbacks’ competitiveness.

Rookie prospects will also have opportunities to prove themselves. Linebacker TJ Parker, cornerback Davison Igbinosun and offensive tackle Jude Bowry are among the newcomers expected to compete for roster spots as the Bills assess depth across the roster.