The Buffalo Bills began their legal tampering period by agreeing to terms with cornerback Dee Alford to a three-year deal, signaling the start to a bit of a rebuild with their secondary. Now, they are going back to a familiar quarterback to bring as the backup to Josh Allen.
According to Adam Schefter, the Bills are signing quarterback Kyle Allen to a two-year deal that is worth $4.1 million and can be worth up to $6.1 million. Allen will now return to Buffalo where he was Josh Allen’s backup in 2023.
Source: Former Lions QB Kyle Allen Is signing a two-year, $4.1 million deal worth up to $6.1 million with the Buffalo Bills, where he will reunite with his close friend Josh Allen.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2026
Kyle and Josh are good friends and the Bills have usually brought in players that are close with Allen to back him up. It’s no surprise. Plus, with Mitch Trubisky leaving for the Titans earlier today, the Bills needed to bring in a backup for Allen. Now they have one.
Bills sign their backup QB in Kyle Allen
Kyle Allen spent the 2023 season with the Bills where he was Josh Allen’s backup and since his tenure then, Allen has been with the Steelers and he was with the Lions last season. When Allen was in Buffalo in 2023, he did nothing more than come into the game in the final minute to kneel out the clock because the Bills were guaranteed to win.
Bringing him back to Buffalo is great for familiarity and it keeps the morale of the quarterback room, but Kyle Allen is not the backup that Bills fans should have been hoping for.Â
Instead, Buffalo should have gone in a different route. Maybe go a different route than what they have typically done. There were other backup quarterback options like Tyrod Taylor, Teddy Bridgewater, and Trey Lance that would have brought more to the table than Allen does. Heck, you could make an argument that Zach Wilson would have been more of an intriguing option to backup Josh Allen.
The signing of Kyle Allen does take care of the backup QB situation, but the Bills would be wise to still consider bringing in another quarterback through the draft that they can help develop and provide competition for Kyle Allen. Someone like Drew Allar would be a solid addition and if the Bills can get him on Day 3 of the draft, that would be a steal for Buffalo.