Bills Central

2024 Bills Training Camp Primer: Breaking down the quarterbacks

It's all about Josh Allen for the Buffalo Bills and their quarterback room.

McKenna Middlebrook

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs into the end zone on this 52 yard run.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs into the end zone on this 52 yard run. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and
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The Buffalo Bills' 2024 training camp kicks off at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, NY on July 24. There are starting roles and roster spots to be won on a Buffalo roster that saw significant turnover in the spring; in this series, we're going to familiarize you with each position group on the Bills' roster entering camp.

We'll start by addressing the most important position on the team: quarterback. 

Quarterback

Josh Allen
Bills quarterback position is in good hands with Josh Allen (17) and backup Mitchell Trubisky (10). Jg 072821 Bills Allen 2 / Jamie Germano via Imagn Content

Rostered Players: Josh Allen, Mitchell Trubisky, Shane Buechele

The Bills are lucky enough to have one of the best quarterbacks in the league starting under center for them in Josh Allen. The signal-caller had what some called a ‘down year’ last season, in which he amassed over 4,800 yards and had a league-high 44 total touchdowns. In those 44 scores, he had 15 rushing touchdowns, which was tied with Philadelphia Eagles passer Jalen Hurts for most in the NFL among quarterbacks.

How -- or why -- was this considered a down year? Well, he was second in the league in interceptions with an admittedly alarming 18. While it’s hard to quantify the value of each interception thrown, each pick is potential points left off the board. 

Related: WATCH: Bills knew they couldn't make a huge trade up in 2024 NFL Draft

Yes, the interceptions are frustrating, and when you add the four fumbles lost, his turnovers can be downright maddening. That all being said, Allen is a top-three quarterback in the NFL by almost every metric, and he's simply an electrifying player. His incredible arm talent, unique athleticism, and elite mentality are unmatched. 

Allen’s talent is unquestioned, so we’re more interested in how he’ll look in his first full season under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady. We’ve had a small sample size of Allen under Brady; in nine games (including playoffs) under the play-caller last season, he averaged 261.8 yards and threw for 14 touchdowns. Those stats are slightly skewed, though, because in their Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, Allen threw the ball just 15 times for 95 yards due to the fact the Bills ran the ball for 268 yards. 

Buffalo currently has two backup quarterbacks on its roster: Mitchell Trubisky and Shane Buechele. 

Mitchell Trubisky
Dec 26, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) takes a selfie with a fan prior to a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Bills fans are familiar with Trubisky thanks to his time as the backup during the 2021 season where he occasionally saw the field when the Bills were up big in the fourth quarter. Trubisky, while demonstrably not a reliable starting quarterback, is a serviceable backup because he has the ability to fill in for a short time if Allen does get injured. Trubisky also has a skill set adjacent to that of Allen; he can move in the pocket and has a decent arm, but he's clearly not on the level of former All-Pro. That said, he should be able to fill in, if needed, and keep the offense rolling without too much philosophical shifting.

Then there is Shane Buechele, who is entering his fourth season in the NFL. Buechele played collegiately at both Texas and SMU but has yet to take a regular season snap in the NFL. He played two seasons at SMU where he threw for 7,024 yards, 57 touchdowns, and just 16 interceptions. Standing at 6-foot-1, the 26-year-old is slightly undersized but showed some decent anticipation while at SMU, and was a willing runner when plays broke down.

Buffalo's quarterback room is objectively one of the league's best due solely to the presence of Allen, and its success in 2024 will come down to his performance and availability. He's been a workhorse who has played through bumps and bruises throughout his professional career thus far, and thus, there's no reason to anticipate injury; that said, Trubisky appears capable of filling in for a short time, if needed. If Allen were to go down, however, one could argue that Buffalo's season would be a lost cause. To borrow -- and slightly alter --- a Tom Moore quote initially uttered about Peyton Manning: "If 17 goes down, we're f*****. And we don't practice f*****."

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McKenna Middlebrook
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