The Bills’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday could shine a spotlight on one of the team’s quieter but important battles: who backs up Josh Allen.
Buffalo has not said how much, if any, run its starters will get in the opener, and that uncertainty could open the door for Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele to get extended looks. The two veterans are fighting for the No. 2 job on the depth chart, but the competition hasn’t turned cold inside the quarterback room.
Kyle Allen said the relationship has stayed strong even with the roster spot up for grabs.
“I think Shane’s such a good dude,” Kyle Allen said. “The way we both view it is we’re just trying to come out here and execute every day and do our job and hopefully get better each and every day, help each other get better and help Josh get better so we can win games.”
Buechele described the same dynamic from his side, framing it as a mix of friendship and everyday competition.
“We’re great friends on and off the field,” Buechele said. “There’s a competition aspect too, and we’re always competing.
We know that. But once we’re off the field, it’s all love.
Our families are close. But we also know we’ve got a job to do on the field, too, so it’s competitive.”
Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said the preseason games are going to matter in sorting out the job.
“It’s a competition,” Carmichael said. “They’ve both shown they’re in this building for a reason. As we get going with some of the preseason games, that’ll be a good time to really evaluate.”
Buechele, who is entering his fourth season in Buffalo’s system, also pointed to Josh Allen as a big reason the room works the way it does. He said the Bills’ starter has been open to feedback and conversation.
“He’s all ears to our opinions,” Buechele said of the Bills’ star quarterback. “That’s what I appreciate about him.
It’s been fun for me to watch him play and give my opinions on what we see, whether it’s throwing mechanics or schematically and different things. It’s been fun the last three or four years being able to see him and bounce ideas off each other.”
Carmichael said both backups have given Buffalo value that goes beyond game action.
“They both bring a ton of value, not only on the field, but what they bring to the meeting room, their relationship with Josh and their ability to communicate with him,” Carmichael said. “As we get into the preseason and play some games, it’ll be a great opportunity to see them both. They’ve each had practices where you come off the field excited about what they did.”
For now, Saturday offers the first real chance to see how the battle develops as both quarterbacks try to lock down the spot behind one of the NFL’s premier passers.
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