Ex-Chiefs' QB gets rare chance, dazzles in Bills' preseason win over Buccaneers

The Buffalo Bills deployed a former Kansas City Chiefs' cast-off as the starting quarterback for the preseason finale on Saturday night in Tampa

Aug 26, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Shane Buechele (12) throws a pass during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

With Mitch Trubisky and Mike White seemingly a step ahead in the battle for the Buffalo Bills' backup quarterback role, Shane Buechele was somewhat of an afterthought when looking at the big picture.

Being a roster longshot wasn't nearly enough to deter Buechele from letting it rip during the Bills' final preseason game on Saturday night in Tampa. The native Texan earned the starting nod against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he proceeded to quarterback Buffalo to a wire-to-wire exhibition win.

“It's my first time ever playing a full game in the NFL, and it was a lot of fun, man. I just thank God for the opportunity," said Buechele.

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The 27-year-old Buechele went 25-of-30 passing for 278 yards and one touchdown in the 23-19 victory over the Buccaneers. Two of his five incompletions could be considered drops by the intended receiver. He also rushed for 20 yards on five carries.

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Shane Buechele (6) calls a play at the line against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

“Great to have Shane out there. I thought he had great command of the game. We moved the ball down the field, and we were able to score points, control clock, play good situational football," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott.

While Buechele has yet to take a regular season snap, he's been in the NFL since signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2021. He was on the Chiefs' roster throughout their 2022 Super Bowl season, but was inactive on gamedays.

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Buechele joined the Bills' practice squad after being released by the Chiefs prior to the 2023 regular season. He suffered an injury last summer, landing on season-ending Injured Reserve.

Fighting to remain a member of the Bills' QB room for a third year, Buechele appears in all three preseason games. His 380 yards passing ranked third overall amongst AFC leaders this summer.

Aug 9, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Shane Buechele (6) throws a pass under pressure from New York Giants linebacker Trace Ford (46) in the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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