The Buffalo Bills ended nearly two decades of searching when they found quarterback Josh Allen in 2018, landing the long-term, franchise signal-caller the team had lacked since the days of Jim Kelly.
The search for a long-term backup has been a little trickier.
The Bills have opted to bring on a series of veteran quarterbacks to back up Allen during his tenure, though one insider believes that could change this offseason. The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia predicted that the Bills will add a rookie quarterback through the NFL draft with hopes of developing him into a long-term backup for Allen.
Bills Looking to the Future at Quarterback
The Bills have used just one draft pick on a quarterback since landing Allen in the first round in 2018, a fifth-round pick they used in 2020 on Jake Fromm. He ultimately never took a snap for the Bills, spending the first season on the practice squad before being poached by the New York Giants in 2021.
Buscaglia believes the Bills will take another swing at a rookie quarterback, using the No. 205 overall pick on Kurtis Rourke from Indiana.
Though Rourke will likely not take the field in 2025 as he recovers from a torn ACL, Buscaglia predicted that he could spend the year developing in preparation to become a long-term backup for Allen.
“This is a 2026 play when Mitchell Trubisky and Mike White are free agents,” Buscaglia wrote. “Rourke had ACL surgery in January, which likely knocks him out of the entire 2025 season. That allows the Bills to stash Rourke on an injured list during 2025 without counting toward the active roster and getting a good developmental quarterback in the building for a year to potentially be their long-term backup.”
Bills Have Faith in Mitch Trubisky
The Bills have shown plenty of faith in Trubisky, who initially backed up Allen in the 2021 season before returning last offseason. The veteran quarterback was excited with the move at the time, saying he felt at home in Buffalo.
“It’s been awesome,” Trubisky said at the time, via USA Today’s Bills Wire. “I mean, I was gone for two years, but it feels like it really flew by. But the fact that they wanted me back here and it just feels like coming back home. I feel really comfortable.”
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said last offseason that the team felt confident with Trubisky as the No. 2 behind Allen.
“When he was here, had his number been called, had Josh gone down, we felt really confident,” Beane said. “I think if you looked at what he did in his preseason time, it probably stood out amongst any of the other guys we’ve had.”
The Bills brought in more veteran help, signing former Miami Dolphins and New York Jets starter Mike White to serve as the No. 3. As Buscaglia noted, both Trubisky and White are signed through the 2025 season.
The Bills have traditionally kept only two quarterbacks on their active roster during Allen’s tenure, with White spending more of last season on the practice squad.
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