For the fourth straight season, the Buffalo Bills are going to have a new quarterback backing up Josh Allen. In 2020 it was Matt Barkley, in 2021 the Bills signed Mitchell Trubisky as a free agent and then this past offseason the Bills would work out a trade with the Cleveland Browns for Case Keenum.
Unfortunately, Keenum is now set to depart Western New York as it has been reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero he agreed to a two-year deal with the Houston Texans. This certainly makes sense for Keenum as he played college football at the University of Houston and began his NFL career with the Texans. He would start 10 games over two seasons in 2013 and 2014 with the Texans.
The move for Keenum also gives him the potential chance to start early in the upcoming season as the Texans are expected to draft a quarterback early in the 2023 NFL Draft. If that rookie isn’t ready for the beginning of the season, the Texans could look to the veteran to begin the season.
Where do the Buffalo Bills go for their backup quarterback to replace Case Keenum?
It is clear that the Buffalo Bills will explore almost every avenue to replace Case Keenum to be the team’s backup quarterback. Two offseasons ago it was free agency and last year it was through the trade market.
The reason I say almost every avenue is that the Buffalo Bills are unlikely to bring in a rookie to backup Josh Allen. It would make more sense for them to bring in a player who has experience starting or has been in the league for a few seasons.
The reason is that the Buffalo Bills don’t want to find themselves in a position where a rookie has to learn on the job in the middle of the season, which is also hopefully a playoff chase or competing for an AFC East title.