Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills' quarterback, is set to play in the team's final regular-season game, despite there being no stakes. In contrast, Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs will be sitting out.
Both teams have already secured their top seeds heading into week 18, with Mahomes taking a two-week break as Kansas City enjoys a first-round bye. However, Allen will be on the field for the playoffs next weekend, risking injury to maintain his streak of 114 consecutive games.
Speaking about his decision, Allen said: "It's something that means a lot to me. Just making sure that I'm available, playing through things throughout the years.. Glad I get to start."
The choice to start Allen is intriguing, given the minimal gains for the Bills and the potential risk to their star quarterback. It remains to be seen how long he'll play in the game, especially with a potentially tough first-round playoff match against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals looming, should they win in the final week and other results fall in their favour.
Allen and Mahomes could once again face off in the postseason, a seemingly annual occurrence, with the latter likely to be much fresher for a potential matchup.
However, there is a risk that Mahomes could start his first game back in shaky form, as has often been the case when players have had an extended rest period before the postseason. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz looks poised to make his debut for the Chiefs after signing up as Mahomes' backup this season.
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