Bills Quarterbacks on the Roster Bubble vs. Roster Locks

The Bills have a backup quarterback competition brewing with training camp less than two weeks away.

A general view of practice during Buffalo Bills Minicamp. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It may not appear as if the Buffalo Bills’ quarterback position is one of the most intriguing on the team's roster entering training camp, but if you take a closer look, the backup QB competition that’s brewing is sure to deliver plenty of fireworks.

Let’s just get this out of the way: Josh Allen is making the team. I just wanted to make that clear in case we have any first-timers out there. Allen was recently named the top quarterback in the NFL by ESPN and is coming off another season in which he was named an MVP finalist.

Allen was not at his best statistically nor in terms of his efficiency in 2025, but he’s a good bet to bounce back with another remarkable season in 2025. Allen is currently the favorite [+600] to earn MVP this season, according to FanDuel.

Plenty of eyes will be on the Bills’ gunslinger throughout training camp, as fans will do whatever they can to get a glimpse, or even better, an autograph from their favorite player. But the focus at this position should be on Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele, who will be battling it out on the roster bubble.

A backup battle for the ages at Bills training camp

Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Allen (9) against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Among the various positional battles set to take place at Buffalo’s training camp, the one for the QB2 job isn’t the most important. But it is a critical one nonetheless.

Josh Allen hasn’t missed a game due to injury since his rookie season, but after he turned 30 years old this offseason, the Bills must develop a reasonable Plan B in case their prized signal caller goes down in a heap for a week or two. That makes the battle between Buechele and Kyle Allen an important one.

Forecasting the Bills’ backup QB battle

Buffalo Bills quarterback Shane Buechele (6) drops back to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If I were to forecast this camp competition with about two weeks to go until the team heads for St. John Fisher University on July 29, I would say Kyle Allen comes out on top. He has much more starting experience than Buechele, who has never started a regular-season game in his NFL career.

With that said, if Buechele were to be cut, he is a candidate to be retained on the practice squad. He previously spent the 2023 and parts of the 2025 season on the team’s practice squad, while he was placed on IR in 2024, missing the entire season with the Bills due to a neck injury.

Neither player is a great candidate to replace former backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who signed a free-agent deal with the Tennessee Titans this offseason. But they each have a strong relationship with Josh Allen, which is another key element when considering who might win the job between the two this summer.

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