Josh Allen injury update: What it means for the Bills and his NFL career

Need to know:

• Allen briefly left the Bills' Thursday night loss to Houston with a shoulder injury
• He returned to finish the game, but was sacked eight times
• The reigning MVP said that his left arm "felt numb" initially

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen suffered what looked at first to be a scary injury against the Houston Texans on Thursday night. Allen, who was one rushing touchdown away from surpassing Cam Newton's record, was barely able to walk off the field under his own power after being landed on by star Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

It was immediately clear that Allen was in pain, favoring his left shoulder as he was treated by the Bills' medical staff. But despite how ugly the play looked initially, the reigning league MVP would return on Buffalo's next drive and finish the rest of a 23-19 loss. Here's everything to know about what Allen said about the injury after the game and his prognosis moving forward.

Josh Allen injury update: How long will Bills QB be out?

In his postgame video conference, Allen told reporters that his arm and shoulder "went a little numb on me" after landing on the ground. That numbness subsided by the time Buffalo got the ball back, allowing him to get back on the field without missing a single offensive snap.

Allen simply said "we're good" when asked about how he was doing after the game, which has to be considered something close to the best-case scenario for the Bills given how the play looked live. Still, while it's no doubt a good sign that he was able to play the rest of the game, numbness — even in a non-throwing arm — isn't something that can be brushed away quite so easily.

We know just how these sorts of nerve issues can linger, after all. And that not only casts a pall over the rest of Buffalo's season, but offers a harsh reminder about the rest of Allen's likely Hall of Fame career.

Can Josh Allen stay healthy if he keeps taking hits like this?

Allen's dual-threat presence plays a big role in the Buffalo offense. While he can beat just about any team with his arm, it's his ability to run the football that catches opponents off-guard, and that includes one of the top defenses in the league in the Houston Texans. But with that comes some risk, and it's why Allen has to watch himself moving forward.

Frankly, Allen's style of play lends itself to some concerns. Earlier on Thursday, I tried to predict how many rushing touchdowns Allen – who has 75 on his career, tied with Cam Newton for the most all-time by a quarterback – would finish with. What's tough about that exercise is that as talented as Allen is, he doesn't use much caution. My projection of 120-plus rushing touchdowns is only valid if Allen slides in the appropriate amount of time, and ensures he doesn't injure himself by taking unnecessary hits. Against Houston, he took one, and we saw the result.

He was okay this time around. Will that be the case in the future?

Allen hasn't dealt with many injuries in his career despite his style of play. It's why pundits like me can predict that he'll finish his Hall-of-Fame career with over 100 touchdowns. However, those projections are fully based on Allen staying healthy. Unfortunately, Thursday night showcased the worst of what could come of Allen's career.