The Buffalo Bills don’t have to worry about the starting quarterback spot while Josh Allen is in his prime. That part of the roster has been settled for years. The question is what happens if Allen ever needs a breather, because the backup situation behind him has been anything but stable.
Since 2018, Buffalo has cycled through Matt Barkley, Mitch Trubisky, Kyle Allen and Case Keenum as Allen’s backup at one point or another. Trubisky and Kyle Allen each had two separate stints with the team, and Kyle Allen is the current No.
- Even so, it’s not exactly a setup that inspires much confidence.
Kyle Allen hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2019 with the Carolina Panthers, when he played in 13 games and threw for 3,322 yards with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Over his career, he has also spent time with the Panthers, Commanders, Texans, Bills, Steelers and Lions.
That’s why Chris Landers of FanSided.com floated a trade idea that would bring another name into the mix: Carolina Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett. In Landers’ proposal, Buffalo would send a 2027 seventh-round pick, and the Bills already have two of those after their Day 3 draft trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.
" Pickett's stock could hardly be lower right now; his time as a starter in Pittsburgh was largely disastrous, and he's spent the last two years looking like a replacement-level quarterback while backing up in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. But he is a QB with a pulse and NFL game experience, and this time of year, that should be worth at least a seventh-round pick." said Landers.
He also pointed to the state of Buffalo’s depth chart behind Allen.
" Josh Allen has proven famously indestructible in his NFL career to date. But expecting that to last forever is playing with fire, especially considering just how much punishment he takes over the course of a full season.
And right now, all that Buffalo has behind its MVP candidate is Kyle Allen - who hasn't started a game since 2022, when he completed 51.3 percent of his passes with one TD and two picks in a loss to the Cleveland Browns while in Houston - and practice squad option Shane Buechele." Landers added.
Pickett wouldn’t look like a dramatic upgrade over Kyle Allen, but he does bring starting experience from his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was also part of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning team in 2024. His run with the Steelers came under Matt Canada, when the offense was described as extremely predictable.
A deal like this does not feel likely this week, especially with the Bills and Panthers set to play Saturday in Orchard Park and Carolina rookie quarterback Haynes King expected to miss time with a hamstring injury. Even so, the idea is out there, and after that, it’s one of those situations where you can never say never.
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