QB · BUF · 28 yrs · exp 5 · SMU
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The Bills have signed quarterback Shane Buechele and offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. to their practice squad, among other additions
The Buffalo Bills have announced their initial 53-man roster, making several moves including trades, waivers, and releases
The Bills will not be keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-player roster
Bills release third-string QB Shane Buechele, likely to bring him back on practice squad
The Post’s Ryan Dunleavy previews the AFC East ahead of training camp: Coach : Joe Brady (first year) Training camp site : Rochester Key additions : In the two years after trading Stefon Diggs , the Bills paid the price for not having a true No. 1 receiver. Enter DJ Moore off a career-worst season with the Bears. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb changed sides in the division, leaving the Dolphins. The secondary should have more bite with the additions of CB Jay Alford and trash-talking S C.J. Gardner-Johnson . LG Austin Corbett will compete to start. Key losses : LG David Edwards (Saints) and CB Taron Johnson ( Raiders ) secured big paydays. QB Mitch Trubisky left Josh Allen ’s side for the second time to reunite with coordinator Brian Daboll in Tennessee . FB Reggie Gilliam , one of the best at a dying position, joined the rival Patriots. Training camp storylines to watch : Promoted from offensive coordinator, Brady has one way to be successful: Get over the hump to a Super Bowl. How will the first-time head coach juggle all his new responsibilities? New defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard — an NFL first-timer — swapped out a 4-3 base front for a 3-4, so some former starters could learn that they do not fit. There will be position battles at left guard, cornerback, punter and backup quarterback, where either Kyle Allen or Shane Buechele will be one snap away from replacing MVP candidate Josh Allen. Coach : Jeff Hafley (first year) Training camp site : Miami Gardens, Fla. Key additions : Hafley and new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan — both Packers exports — brought with them Malik Willis as their first franchise quarterback . They selected an NFL-biggest 13-player draft class — including top 43 picks OT Kayden Proctor, CB Chris Johnson and LB Jacob Rodriguez, and starting TE Will Kacmarek. Jalen Tolbert , Tutu Atwell , and rookies Caleb Douglas and Chris Bell are in a crowded WR mix. Edge rusher Josh Uche is far removed from his 11.5-sack season. Key losses : The new regime’s housecleaning was thorough, starting with QB Tua Tagovailoa despite an NFL-record $99.2 million dead salary-cap charge. It included the former dynamic WR duo of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill , as well as TEs Darren Waller and Julian Hill . The offensive line will look different without Cole Strange ( Chargers ), Larry Borom (Lions) and James Daniels . A couple of defensive stars landed in the division: Chubb (Bills) and S Minkah Fitzpatrick ( Jets ). Training camp storylines to watch : Is the tank on? Or is this journeyman-loaded roster capable of winning more games than expected? That largely depends on whether Willis — whom the Titans once gave up on as a future quarterback after just three career starts — is ready to be an above-average starter and hold off the 2027 quarterback draft chatter. It won’t be easy with this unproven receiving corps led by Malik Washington . The pass rush-light defense needs former first-round picks Kenneth Grant and Chop Robinson to progress. Coach : Mike Vrabel (second year) Training camp site : Foxborough, Mass. Key additions : Never stop supporting your young QB, and NFL MVP runner-up Drake Maye now is throwing to WRs A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs , with OL Alijah Vera-Tucker and rookie OT Caleb Lomu adding protection. FB Reggie Gilliam should bolster the complementary running game. S Kevin Byard , who led the NFL with seven interceptions last season, comes over from the Bears. DT Dre’Mont Jones (Ravens) is expected to hurry some throws. Key losses : WR Stefon Diggs’ 1,000-yard season wasn’t enough to keep him from being released in favor of trading for Brown. OLB K’Lavon Chaisson passed through for one year and revived his career (Commanders). QB Josh Dobbs wasn’t re-signed, as Tommy DeVito earned a promotion to second-stringer. DT Khyiris Tonga ( Chiefs ), ILB Jahlani Tavai and S Jaylinn Hawkins (Ravens) are gone from the middle of the defense. Training camp storylines to watch : It was a tumultuous personal off [... truncated ...]
A quality NFL backup quarterback doesn't exactly garner the headlines of an All-Pro-caliber starter. It shouldn't. That said, the value cannot be overlooked. If a franchise's starter goes down for a game, or two, or six, the season could go in the toilet in an instant if they don't have someone who can come in and keep things afloat momentarily. So, while the last thing anyone wants to think about is the established starter missing time, it's good to have a quality insurance plan. Take last season, for example. A number of backup quarterbacks rose to the occasion, and their successes drove the playoff picture. A key reason why the Houston Texans overcame C.J. Stroud's absence after a concussion in Week 9 was due to backup Davis Mills thriving when his number was called. Mills went 3-0 over his stretch as the starter, which helped Houston mount a playoff berth. In the NFC, Mac Jones led the San Francisco 49ers to a 5-3 record as the starter while Brock Purdy was sidelined, and that helped them stay in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the conference until Week 18. Of course, maybe the greatest recent example of having a top backup is Nick Foles in 2017, as he stepped in for an injured Carson Wentz and led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl LII title. With all that in mind, we're going to look at a slew of contenders and size up what their backup quarterback situation looks like and rank them. To draw a line in the sand for what "contender" actually means, we're looking at clubs that have odds to win Super Bowl LXI of +2500 or shorter at DraftKings Sportsbook, which gives us 16 teams in total. Starter : Josh Allen Backups : Kyle Allen , Shane Buechele Kyle Allen inked a two-year, $4.1 million deal to be the primary backup to Josh Allen, while 2021 undrafted free agent Shane Buechele is the third-stringer. Allen, who has been in the NFL since 2018, has starting experience (19 total starts), but hasn't started a game since Week 13 of the 2022 season while a member of the Houston Texans. In that game, he completed just 51.3% of his passes, tossed two interceptions, and recorded two fumbles (one lost). For his career, the 30-year-old is 7-12 as a starter, while completing 62.5% of his passes with an 82.1 passer rating. While maybe no quarterback can compare to Josh Allen, it would be a Grand Canyon-sized difference in the event they need to hand the keys over to Kyle Allen. Starter : Jared Goff Backups : Teddy Bridgewater , Luke Altmyer (UDFA) Not that long ago, Teddy Bridgewater was coaching high school football. After resigning from his post at Miami Northwestern Senior High School in August of last year, he signed on to be a backup for the Buccaneers and did see some action in Week 12 last season against the Rams . There, Bridgewater completed 53.3% of his throws for just 62 yards. The last time he started a game came back in Week 17 of the 2022 season as a member of the Dolphins . Now, Bridgewater is back in Detroit (where he served as a backup from 2023 to 2024) with the Lions and will likely serve as the top option behind Jared Goff, with undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer also in the fold. While Bridgewater has 65 regular-season starts under his belt and is above .500 (33-32) over that run, it's fair to wonder how much he truly has in the tank as he'll turn 34 during the 2026 season. Starter : Justin Herbert Backups : Trey Lance , DJ Uiagalelei Justin Herbert has been remarkably durable over the course of his career, considering the volume of hits he takes. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Herbert has taken the most hits (615) and the most sacks (225) in the league. That includes 129 quarterback hits last season, which was tied for the second-most in the last 20 years. While L.A. has invested in the offensive line and was simply dealt a bad hand with injuries to Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt last season, you'd think they'd pursue a better backup than they currently have in Trey Lance. Lance does have the pedigree of being a [... truncated ...]
The Buffalo Bills have an elite quarterback. That’s not just me rambling; the good folks over at ESPN recently released their quarterback rankings, and they had Josh Allen at No. 1 among all NFL signal-callers. Our own top-dog, Chris Trapasso, wrote that Allen is the best player in the NFL before that ESPN piece published. Any discussion of the backup quarterback spot, then, is tainted a bit with the knowledge that none of us want to see that backup in the game for an extended period of time. Whether we’re talking about Case Keenum , Mitchell Trubisky , Matt Barkley , or the subject of today’s edition of “91 players in 91 days,” we know that the backup quarterback is nowhere near as good as the starting quarterback. _____________________________________________________________________________ Name: Kyle Allen Number: 11 Position: QB Height/Weight: 6’3” 210 lbs. Age: 30 (31 on 3/8/2027) Experience/Draft: 8; signed with the Carolina Panthers following the 2018 NFL Draft College: Houston Acquired: Signed with Bills on 3/12/2026 Financial situation (per Spotrac): Allen signed a two-year deal worth $4.1 million overall this spring. For the 2026 season, his cap hit if he makes the 53-man roster is $1.9 million. If he’s released, the Bills will carry a dead cap charge of $1.8 million this season. 2025 Recap: Allen spent last year with the Detroit Lions as the backup to Jared Goff . He played just sixteen offensive snaps in the regular season, throwing two incomplete passes and kneeling three times for -3 rushing yards. He had plenty of action in the preseason, though, completing 79.5% of his pass attempts (35-of-44) for 401 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He rushed five times for 16 yards, as well. Positional outlook: Allen is one of three quarterbacks on the current roster. Josh Allen and Shane Buechele are the others. 2026 Offseason: Allen is healthy and he participated in offseason workouts. He’s likely to see lots of action in the preseason. 2026 Season outlook: In some places, the starting quarterback is weak enough where fans and pundits clamor for the backup quarterback to take the field. With the Bills, it’s the exact opposite: The starting quarterback is elite, so absolutely no one hopes that the backup sees a snap that doesn’t involve garbage-time kneel-downs this season. If Kyle Allen does have to play for an extended time, it likely spells curtains for the Bills. He hasn’t had any extended playing ime in the NFL since the 2022 season when he started two games for the Houston Texans . He was mildly successful in his one season starting with the Carolina Panthers, throwing 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 13 games back in 2019, but let’s be realistic here: Josh Allen is one of one. Kyle Allen, while he might be a great locker room guy and a serviceable veteran to hold the clipboard on Sundays, isn’t the man we want taking snaps. With all of that said, Allen is worlds better than Shane Buechele, the only other person vying for a role on the sidelines on Sundays. Kyle Allen will be Josh Allen’s backup this season
As the world holds their breath for news about Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift's rumored wedding celebration at Madison Square Garden. On July 3, more evidence validating the wedding rumors has surfaced in an unusual place: Patrick Mahomes ' Instagram. Mahomes, the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs and friend of Kelce who was previously spotted in New York on July 2 , posted a picture of him and his wife, Brittany, on his Instagram story on July 3. The photo of the couple appears to have been taken at the Meduza Mediterrania New York restaurant, based on another photo that Brittany Mahomes shared from former Chiefs quarterback Shane Buechele 's wife, Paige. In Buechele's photo with Brittany are former Chiefs tight end Blake Bell 's wife, Lyndsay, and Patrick Mahomes' Texas Tech teammate Summitt Hogue's wife, Miranda. The photo seems to indicate that some sort of group gathering is taking place in New York with the Mahomes family and others with connections to the Chiefs. It could be a coincidence that they're all in New York at the same time as the speculated Madison Square Garden event, or it could be more proof confirming the rumors of Swift and Kelce's wedding. Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is also in the area. He was seen with his wife Maria in midtown. "Spags" is a four-time Super Bowl champion who also had two stints with the New York Giants. The frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's reported wedding plans has spilled onto the streets of Manhattan. A Taylor Swift fan waits outside Madison Square Garden, ahead of a reported wedding between singer Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce, in New York City, U.S., July 2, 2026. The frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's reported wedding plans has spilled onto the streets of Manhattan. As permits seeking street closures from July 2 to July 4 fuel speculation, trucks and forklifts have converged around Madison Square Garden ahead of a reported July 2 rehearsal and a July 3 cocktail party. Here, workers unload equipment from a truck at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 30, 2026. A box labeled "Branches" before it is loaded into Madison Square Garden, ahead of reports that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will hold their wedding at the venue in New York City, U.S., July 1, 2026. Forklifts and trucks are seen outside Madison Square Garden in New York on June 30, 2026. Workers and forklifts are seen outside Madison Square Garden in New York on June 30, 2026. Forklifts and trucks are seen outside Madison Square Garden in New York on June 30, 2026. Forklifts and trucks are seen outside Madison Square Garden in New York on June 30, 2026. A worker drives a forklift outside Madison Square Garden in New York on June 30, 2026. A worker stands outside at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 30, 2026. Workers and forklifts are seen outside Madison Square Garden in New York on June 30, 2026. Workers unload equipment from a truck at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 30, 2026, ahead of reports that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will hold a wedding ceremony at the arena. The frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's reported wedding plans has spilled onto the streets of Manhattan. A Taylor Swift fan waits outside Madison Square Garden, ahead of a reported wedding between singer Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce, in New York City, U.S., July 2, 2026. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes in New York ahead of Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift wedding
Shane Buechele is fighting for a spot on the Buffalo Bills' practice squad or another team's 53-man roster. He signed a reserve/futures deal for $1.15 million and has a $50,000 dead cap charge if released. In the 2025 preseason, Buechele played in three games, completing 36-of-46 passes for 380 yards and a touchdown, with six rushing attempts for 20 yards. He was released at the end of the summer and spent time on the Bills' practice squad
The Bills made five roster moves on Thursday. They signed wide receivers Deven Thompkins and Max Tomczak, waived cornerback Dorian Strong with a non-football injury, waived/injured running back Desmond Reid and waived wide receiver Gabriel Benyard. Thompkins is entering his fifth year in the NFL and was a minicamp invite with the Bills this week. The Utah State product made a memorable play on Wednesday, laying out to secure a deep touchdown pass from quarterback Shane Buechele . Thompkins previously played for the Falcons (2025), Panthers (2024) and Buccaneers (2022-23). He has 42 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career. Tomczak rejoins the Bills after signing with the team in May as an undrafted free agent. He spent his four-year collegiate career with Youngstown State. In 49 career games, Tomczak totaled a school-record 225 receptions, 3,024 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns
The Bills made five roster moves on Thursday. They signed wide receivers Deven Thompkins and Max Tomczak, waived cornerback Dorian Strong with a non-football injury, waived/injured running back Desmond Reid and waived wide receiver Gabriel Benyard. Thompkins is entering his fifth year in the NFL and was a minicamp invite with the Bills this week. The Utah State product made a memorable play on Wednesday, laying out to secure a deep touchdown pass from quarterback Shane Buechele. Thompkins previously played for the Falcons (2025), Panthers (2024) and Buccaneers (2022-23). He has 42 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown in his NFL career. Tomczak rejoins the Bills after signing with the team in May as an undrafted free agent. He spent his four-year collegiate career with Youngstown State. In 49 career games, Tomczak totaled a school-record 225 receptions, 3,024 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns
My first 53-man projection of the 2026 season is here, fellow rumblers. Let me be upfront: this is a way-too-early look, before a single preseason snap has been played and before training camp opens in late July. Things will change. That’s precisely what makes this exercise worth doing. What I can tell you right now is that Brandon Beane built this roster with more genuine depth than the Bills have had in years — particularly along the defensive front — and that identifying the final ten roster spots is legitimately difficult. Positions that were afterthoughts in previous offseasons are now actual competitions. Welcome to OTAs, where the picture starts to come into focus. Here’s my initial 53, the guys I would pick. In the next predictions, it’ll change to what I believe the Bills will do. For now, this is the starting point. Quarterback (3) Josh Allen , Shane Buechele , Kyle Allen Running Back (5) James Cook , Ty Johnson , Ray Davis , Frank Gore Jr., Desmond Reid Fullback (2) Ben VanSumeran, Jackson Acker Wide Receiver (X) (3) DJ Moore , Keon Coleman , Tyrell Shavers , Wide Receiver (Z) (6) Skyler Bell, Joshua Palmer , Mecole Hardman , Stephen Gosnell, Ja’Mori Maclin, Max Tomczak Wide Receiver (Slot) (4) Khalil Shakir , Trent Sherfield , Jalen Virgil , Gabriel Benyard Tight End (5) Dalton Kincaid , Dawson Knox , Jackson Hawes , Keleki Latu , Shane Zylstra Left Tackle (3) Dion Dawkins , Tylan Grable , Jude Bowry Left Guard (3) Alec Anderson , Austin Corbett , Nick Broeker Center (3) Connor McGovern , Sedrick Van Pran-Granger , Lloyd Cushenberry III Right Guard (2) O’Cyrus Torrence, Ar’Maj Reed-Adams Right Tackle (5) Spencer Brown , Chase Lundt , Travis Clayton , Bruno Fina, Da’Metrius Weatherspoon Nose Tackle (5) Deone Walker , DeWayne Carter , Phidarian Mathis , Tommy Akingbesote , Zion Logue Defensive Tackle/End (5) Ed Oliver , TJ Sanders, Landon Jackson , Zane Durant , Kody Huisman Outside Linebacker / EDGE (8) Greg Rousseau , Bradley Chubb , Michael Hoecht , Javon Solomon , TJ Parker, Mike Danna , Andre Jones Jr., Cade Denhoff Inside Linebacker (7) Terrel Bernard , Dorian Williams , Joe Andreessen , Keonta Jenkins, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Jimmy Ciarlo, Theron Gaines Cornerback (9) Christian Benford , Maxwell Hairston , Davison Igbinosun , Toriano Pride , MJ Devonshire , Daryl Porter Jr., Dorian Strong , Kani Walker, Jordan Dunbar Slot / Nickel Cornerback (3) Dee Alford , Jordan Hancock , Te’Cory Couch Safety (7) Cole Bishop , CJ Gardner-Johnson, Jalon Kilgore, Sam Franklin , Damar Hamlin , Geno Stone , Wande Owens Kicker (2) Tyler Bass , Maddux Trujillo Punter (2) Mitch Wishnowsky , Tommy Doman Long Snapper (1) Reid Ferguson Starter: Josh Allen Backup: Kyle Allen Analysis: Josh Allen is the guy. The unquestioned best player on this team, an MVP-level quarterback even when you feel like he could’ve been playing better, and the primary reason this franchise is among the contenders every year. The system around him changes — Joe Brady is now the head coach, not the offensive coordinator, and the offense should look and feel different in his year one with full command — but the foundation is unchanged. What has changed from last year is the backup. I’m going with two quarterbacks and dropping Buechele to the practice squad. Kyle Allen, signed as a free agent in March, gets the job. Buechele signed a reserve/futures deal and has been around this organization long enough to be an effective scout team option — that’s a practice squad role, not a 53-man role. That roster spot makes a difference somewhere else on this roster. Cut: Shane Buechele Starters : James Cook, Jackson Acker (FB) Backups: Ty Johnson, Ray Davis Analysis: Cook has established himself as one of the league’s more dynamic weapons. He demands a specific game plan from every defensive coordinator who faces him, and there’s still room for improvement as a pass catcher coming from the backfield, something new OC Pete Carmichael should bring [... truncated ...]
Chris Oladokun completed 11-of-17 passes for 58 yards in the Chiefs 14-12 loss to the Raiders. Oladokun and Shane Buechele both got playing time in the loss to the Raiders, with both quarterback struggling to get anything going. The Chiefs will likely look outside of the current quarterback room for a backup to Patrick Mahomes for the 2026 season
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