Josh Allen, Bills Starters to Play 1 Quarter vs. Caleb Williams, Bears in Preseason

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Josh Allen and the rest of the team's starters will play roughly one quarter during a preseason matchup with Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears on Saturday.

"It's really, to me, it's getting them ramped up and ready to go for the season," McDermott explained, per ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg. "It's an important step, hard to simulate the speed of the game and so getting that in preseason is important, going through warmups and the energy that comes with playing a game in front of fans, and being able to manage that."

McDermott wants to ensure that Allen and the Bills' first-string unit shake off any rust in the preseason following a trip to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2023.

Allen has appeared in just four preseason games over the past three years, although he could see more action in 2024 after Buffalo's offense underwent several changes during the offseason.

Wide receiver Gabe Davis joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent, while four-time Pro Bowl wideout Stefon Diggs was traded to the Houston Texans on April 3. The Bills added former Washington Commander Curtis Samuel in free agency and Florida State standout Keon Coleman in the draft to replace their longtime stalwarts.

While Allen will play against the Bears, McDermott was noncommittal when discussing the quarterback's playing time in future preseason contests.

"We'll just take it one week at a time," McDermott said, per Getzenberg. "So, you know, there's a number of new faces on our offense also, including his receiving corps and so some of that is baked into this. But the biggest thing is individually we've got to get ourselves ready to go and go from there."

Allen is coming off a solid 2023 campaign despite recording a career-high 18 interceptions. He completed 66.5 percent of his passes for 4,306 yards and 29 touchdowns, adding 524 yards and 15 more scores on the ground.

With Caleb Williams reportedly set to take his first preseason snaps, Saturday's clash should feature a brief quarterback battle between the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft and the No. 7 selection in the 2018 draft. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.