If there's one position the Buffalo Bills got definitively worse at in 2026, it's backup quarterback. Mitch Trubisky left for the Tennessee Titans in free agency, leaving a hole wide open behind Josh Allen. It's something to watch as training camp kicks off, and the position battles across the roster take place.
The Bills battle for Josh Allen's backup
The candidates aren't impressive, nor do they have the wealth of starting experience and familiarity that Trubisky offered. His physical fit was near-perfect for the Buffalo offense- Of all the NFL's backup quarterbacks, there simply isn't a player who could be expected to replace him easily. Still, one of this new duo will be the Bills' QB2 when the season kicks off. The only question is 'Who?'. The time spent now in training camp will be crucial.
Who is QB2?
The first candidate for the QB2 job is Kyle Allen. He may not look like it, but 'Allen Jr.' has eight seasons of NFL experience to work with. He's also got the inside track for Josh Allen's backup job, as he filled that role in 2023, though he posted no stats in his seven games played.
Still, Kyle Allen has had a career at quarterback, and that's worth a great deal in a two-man race such as this. He's totaled 19 starts in 34 games played, posting 26 passing touchdowns, 4 rushing touchdowns, and just under 5000 passing yards. It's a figure Josh Allen could eclipse in just 17 games, but that's comparing apples to oranges.
Kyle Allen is a highly capable backup, despite the dropoff from Mitch Trubisky, and should get the nod early in training camp based on his experience.
On the other side of the argument is Shane Buechele. He's younger that Kyle Allen, despite playing for five seasons already. He's also substantially cheaper; Buechele is on a one-year deal worth only $1.15m, whereas Kyle Allen is on a two-year, $4.1m contract.
Buechele offers a great deal as a backup, but very little in terms of actual on-field experience. His only regular-season playing time has come in a game last season, where he stepped in for an injured Patrick Mahomes and put up 88 yards on 14 pass attempts. It was an appearance made only after Kansas City stole Buechele off the Bills' own practice squad.
Buechele expects to be the practice squad QB, as he's been for many rosters so far in his playing career. Still, training camp offers players chances, and all it takes is a few good days of practice to swing the conversation towards a promotion for Shane.
Add us as a preferred source on Google