PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen won’t be playing in the Buffalo Bills’ preseason opener against the New York Giants on Saturday, coach Sean McDermott said Thursday.
As for James Cook’s status, McDermott said the team has no choice but to move forward with or without the starting running back, who skipped his fourth straight practice as part of a contract standoff that shows no signs of resolution.
“I have a ton of respect for him. And the position that he’s in right now is not an easy one,” McDermott said, in his first opportunity to address Cook’s hold-in, which began on Sunday. “That said, we have to move forward as a team, and I’m sure he respects that.”
McDermott noted that while Cook has declined to practice, he is taking part in walk-through sessions and attending team meetings. The fourth-year player, who was the NFL’s co-leader with 16 touchdowns rushing last season, has chosen not to practice in a bid to secure a long-term contract extension to a deal that expires in March.
As for Allen, the coach said he’s yet to determine whether the quarterback will play at all this preseason in part to avoid exposing him to injury.
“I have to make sure I protect him as best that I can,” McDermott said as the Bills held their final practice at their training camp facility in suburban Rochester, New York. “He always wants to be out there, believe me, he does. He’s highly competitive. … So I know this is not easy for him in that regard, but it’s the right thing to do.”
Backup Mitch Trubisky is scheduled to start with the rest of Buffalo’s available starters expected to play much of the first quarter.
The Bills injury list is long with 11 players held out of practice on Thursday, including receivers Khalil Shakir (ankle) and Curtis Samuel (calf), safety Taylor Rapp (knee) and kicker Tyler Bass (pelvis). Rapp was added to the injury report on Thursday and is expected to miss about a week.
McDermott said the team is considering signing a kicker to play on Saturday, with backup running back Ray Davis potentially testing his leg on an emergency basis as he’s done in practice the past week.
One question is how quickly Davis can change from his cleats to a kicking shoe, especially if he’s involved in a touchdown play and required to attempt the extra point.
Allen is fine with not playing by saying he’s simply following McDermott’s orders.
As for Cook’s contract standoff, Allen backed the running back while noting the situation is out of his control.
“I’m a big advocate of everybody getting theirs and getting paid. And sometimes you got to do what you got to do,” Allen said.
“James is who he is and he’s one of the best running backs in the league, and it would be crazy not to say we don’t want him out there,” he added. “We desperately want him here with us, and hopefully something can get done.”
Allen also shed light on one of the more amusing clips from the Bills’ debut on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series broadcast on Tuesday. A mic’d up Allen is caught having an on-field discussion with several offensive linemen on the topic of Galileo.
Allen winked, saying he was acting on a dare from his linemen, who bet the quarterback couldn’t work the astronomer into a conversation and aired on the series.
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