The Buffalo Bills have filled out their practice squad, officially signing 13 players a day after trimming the roster to 53.
Among the group is quarterback Shane Buechele, whose path back to Buffalo has already taken a few twists and turns. The 28-year-old spent two seasons as a starter at SMU after three years at Texas, then entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs after the 2021 NFL Draft.
Buechele’s time in Kansas City has been a revolving door. The Chiefs waived him after the preseason, brought him back on the practice squad, promoted him to the active roster, and later re-signed him as an exclusive rights-free agent before sending him back to the practice squad again.
He eventually landed with Buffalo’s practice squad after Kansas City released him. From there, he signed a futures deal with the Bills and was placed on injured reserve in August of 2024. Buffalo brought him back to the practice squad in 2025.
That stint didn’t last all the way through the season. The Chiefs signed him away late in the year to their active roster, and the Bills later brought him back on a contract before releasing him after the preseason.
In 2025, Buechele played in one game for Kansas City and completed seven of 14 passes for 88 yards.
Across five seasons at SMU and Texas, he posted a 63.1 completion percentage with 11,660 passing yards, 87 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. He also ran for 478 yards and eight scores in 56 games.
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