Former Bills quarterback Kyle Allen on August 26, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
The Buffalo Bills may have a much more interesting backup quarterback competition than many expected when training camp began.
Buffalo entered the summer with two familiar veteran options behind Josh Allen, but recent practice performances have created legitimate questions about who will ultimately earn the QB2 job when the Bills trim the roster to 53 players.
Kyle Allen entered camp with the advantage of experience and familiarity with Buffalo’s franchise quarterback, but Shane Buechele has reportedly made a strong push and could now be positioned to pass him on the depth chart.
SB Nation’s Chris Trapasso recently predicted that Buffalo would move on from Kyle Allen entirely and make Buechele the primary backup to Josh Allen.
“Kyle Allen underwhelmed at training camp almost every day,” Trapasso wrote. “Buechele came on strong late. I think we have a serious QB2 battle on our hands this preseason.”
That assessment makes the remaining preseason games particularly important.
Kyle Allen has previously served as Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo and was brought back partly because of the comfort and familiarity he already has with the organization.
But roster decisions cannot be based entirely on relationships.
If Buechele continues to outperform him on the field, the Bills may eventually have to choose the player who gives them the best chance to survive if Josh Allen is forced to miss time.
Bills insider Matt Parrino of NYUP.com has also suggested that Buechele has gained ground.
“Buechele made Monday feel like a real competition for the backup quarterback job,” Parrino wrote.
One play in particular stood out.
Facing immediate pressure, Buechele delivered a touchdown pass to Trent Sherfield, making the type of throw that can change how coaches view a depth-chart battle.
Parrino noted that Kyle Allen’s relationship with Josh Allen is one of the reasons Buffalo valued bringing him back, but he also made his own evaluation clear.
“On quarterback play alone, Buechele has outplayed him so far,” Parrino wrote.
That could become difficult for Buffalo to ignore.
Buechele has spent much of his NFL career operating behind the scenes rather than playing meaningful snaps.
He originally entered the league with the Kansas City Chiefs and spent considerable time on practice squads before eventually joining Buffalo.
For several years, his primary value came through preparation, quarterback-room work and helping starters during the week.
Last season, however, Buechele finally received an opportunity to appear in an NFL regular-season game.
Kansas City brought him back after Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew suffered season-ending injuries, creating an emergency need at quarterback.
Buechele appeared in the Chiefs’ January 4 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and completed seven of 14 passes for 88 yards.
The numbers were modest, but simply getting onto the field provided him with experience that he had spent years waiting to receive.
Now he is back in Buffalo with an opportunity to earn something even more significant.
The Bills’ No. 2 quarterback job.
Buechele also provides value that extends beyond what happens during games.
Reporter Nick Sabato of the Niagara Gazette has described him as Josh Allen’s “right-hand man,” highlighting how closely the two quarterbacks have worked together on mechanics and preparation.
That role should not be overlooked.
Backup quarterbacks often have responsibilities that go far beyond waiting for the starter to get injured.
They study film, help identify defensive tendencies, provide another perspective during meetings and sometimes act almost like an additional assistant coach.
Buechele appears particularly well suited to that responsibility.
Bills quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry has praised his ability to communicate and contribute inside the quarterback room.
“He just has a great bedside manner,” Curry said. “He sees the game easy and he’s coachable.”
Curry also pointed toward Buechele’s relationship with Josh Allen.
“And I think he’s great for Josh, being the caddy in the room,” Curry said. “And he’s great for me just to bounce stuff off of him.”
Curry even suggested Buechele could eventually have a future in coaching.
“If he wants to do coaching one day, I’m pretty sure he’ll excel at it.”
Those comments help explain why Buffalo has continued to keep Buechele around despite his limited regular-season playing experience.
But this summer, he is no longer simply trying to prove he is valuable in meetings.
He is trying to prove he should be the quarterback who actually takes the field if Josh Allen cannot play.
That makes the competition with Kyle Allen much more consequential.
Buffalo has championship expectations, and backup quarterback remains one of those positions that seems unimportant until suddenly it becomes one of the most important jobs on the roster.
Josh Allen is obviously the unquestioned starter.
There is no competition there.
But the Bills still need confidence that the player behind him can enter a game, execute the offense and keep the team competitive.
Kyle Allen offers experience and familiarity.
Buechele offers strong chemistry with Josh Allen, knowledge of the system and, based on recent reports, better training camp performance.
That creates a legitimate decision for Buffalo’s coaching staff.
The preseason could ultimately determine everything.
If Kyle Allen responds with strong game performances, he could remind the Bills why they brought him back.
If Buechele continues his recent momentum, however, Buffalo may decide that the longtime practice-squad quarterback has finally earned a larger opportunity.
A competition that once appeared relatively straightforward has suddenly become one of the more intriguing battles on the Bills’ roster.
And if Buechele continues to outperform expectations, Buffalo could enter the 2026 season with a surprising new No. 2 behind Josh Allen.