Everything We've Learned About Bills' Backup QB Battle Thus Far, And It's Worrisome

It's a somewhat common problem in NFL circles.

Good backup quarterback play is hard to come by, and the Buffalo Bills are relearning that truth this summer.

With Mitch Trubisky, a former No. 2 overall pick who owns a winning record as a starter, having left for more money from the Tennessee Titans, the Bills are auditioning Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele to serve as Josh Allen's understudy.

There may be no player more important to his team in the entire NFL than Josh Allen. Any elongated absence would likely be an obstacle too insurmountable, but the Bills would've seemingly been comfortable with handing the keys to Trubisky for two or three games.

Although they offer value in some ways, neither Kyle Allen nor Buechele is nearly as talented or experienced as Trubisky. Furthermore, neither appears to be performing well throughout the first two weeks of training camp practices.

“There's going to be ups and downs and flows with it. But two guys that I think are extremely competitive that, if need be, they don't blink. I feel comfortable being able to call a game with them," said first-year head coach Joe Brady on Thursday in Orchard Park.

Mostly unimpressive during open practices

Neither Allen or Buechele looked good throughout the majority of open training camp practices. Of course, it's doesn't help that they have to follow arguably the NFL's best quarterback.

Allen, who has 19 career starts but none after 2022, was seemingly intercepted on a daily basis. Linebacker Joe Andreessen picked Allen off on the second day of camp, and fifth-round rookie safety Jason Kilgore subsequently batted away an Allen deep ball about 10 minutes later.

Two days after intercepting Allen in 1-on-1 drills, defensive back Jordan Hancock picked him off again in the end zone.

Jul 29, 2026; Rochester, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Allen (11) throws a pass during training camp at St. John Fisher University. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Meanwhile, Buechele, who was notably picked off by Kilgore on August 1, has been better of late. He hit tight end Keleki Latu for a nice touchdown during the Return of the Blue & Red practice. In the final practice at St. John Fisher University, he hooked up with Stephen Gosnell for an impressive scoring strike.

"I think that they both have had some practices where you come off and you're excited about it," said offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael.

Real nice pitch and catch for the TD from Shane Buechele to Keleki Latu pic.twitter.com/5GahlK6jcC
— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) August 9, 2026

Intangible benefits

Allen and Buechele both play important roles in the quarterbacks' room, adding more perspective.

"I think that they both bring a ton of value, not only on the field, but what they bring to the meeting room, their relationship with Josh, their ability to communicate with him, and kind of from their vision to what they see," said Carmichael.

Meanwhile, starter Josh Allen, who is friendly with both men, claims to benefit from their presence.

Bills' QB Room — The Bills' Josh Allen, Kyle Allen and staff joke around with Shane Buechele after practice at Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford on Aug. 1, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"They've been around a lot of good offense. They understand the game at a very high level, and I find myself learning a lot from them as well," said Allen. "It's a room that we've all been in together. We're obviously very good friends. We do a lot of hanging out outside the facility."

Preseason games highly important to QB decision

There's no substitute for live game reps, especially for quarterbacks. Hence, it's important that Allen and Buechele take advantage of their playing time in Saturday's preseason opener.

"I'm excited to let them go kind of spin the football and go play a little bit this weekend," said Brady.

Carmichael is also looking forward to seeing what the two understudies can do.

Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Shane Buechele (6) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"As we get going forward with some of the preseason games, that'll be a good time to really evaluate."

Meanwhile, Josh Allen appears to be rooting for both of his teammates equally.

"The nature of the business is you have to compete, sometimes, with good friends. They're going out there. They're spinning it. They're making really good quick decisions. Ultimately, come preseason time, come game time, it'll be resolved. I got no say in it," said Allen.

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