Buffalo Bills: Is Trey Lance a good backup quarterback option for Josh Allen?

The Buffalo Bills have holes at various positions on both offense and defense in which there has been competition happening during training camp and the preseason. One of those positions includes the backup quarterback, where it is Kyle Allen and Matt Barkley battling it out.

In the Bills’ first preseason game it was Barkley who outperformed Allen by a mile. On the other hand, it was Allen who was in more control of the offense against the Steelers, unlike Barkley who was responsible for four turnovers himself. Both Allen and Barkley have struggled against backups which is very concerning, should anything happen to Josh Allen. 

The San Francisco 49ers announced that quarterback Sam Darnold will be the backup quarterback for Brock Purdy, which leaves Trey Lance’s future in doubt with the 49ers moving forward. Lance, who was the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft has not been able to get a legit chance to play in the league.

He was drafted to learn from Jimmy Garoppolo his rookie season and then eventually take over for the future. Then going into his second season with the 49ers last year, he was named the starter before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. The rest was history moving forward with Purdy and the 49ers. 

Should the Buffalo Bills look into trading for Trey Lance to backup Josh Allen?

With other pressing needs for the Bills, the backup quarterback may not seem like a big need right now, that is until the unimaginable happens with Josh Allen where the team will put the ball into the backup quarterbacks’ hands.

While Lance is not a proven quarterback in the NFL, he would be able to develop under Allen and learn from him for the next team that he could join. In addition, Lance and Allen have a similar game with their big arms and ability to scramble out of the pocket. Another factor to consider is that the Bills more than likely would not have to give up a high draft pick and he is on a rookie deal as well.

Lance necessarily has not received the best opportunity to play or to even compete because as the third overall pick, he was seen as the future of San Francisco but has had to face growing pains with his game and being able to gain trust from the locker room. Now with the emergence of Purdy, Lance is almost as good as done with the 49ers. 

While the Bills are looking to solidify their second cornerback position and middle linebacker spot, if Barkley and Kyle Allen struggle once again in Chicago this weekend, the Bills will want to look at providing stability behind Josh Allen.