The Buffalo Bills are treating Saturday’s preseason trip to Cleveland like a final round of roster research, not a dress rehearsal for Josh Allen and the rest of the regulars.
Allen will sit out against the Browns, and most of Buffalo’s established starters are staying on the sideline too, according to ClutchPoints. NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe reported the decision came after the Bills logged a full evaluation in joint practices in Berea, Ohio, and backed it up with a strong preseason opener against Carolina. Wolfe wrote on X: “Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen will not play in Saturday’s preseason game vs. the Browns”
Josh Allen & most Bills starters will sit today vs. Browns, per source. A few young starters may play.
It’ll be Kyle Allen starting at QB for Bills today in preseason game 2.
Bills got good work out of starters in joint practice & preseason opener. Eval mainly on depth today.
- Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) August 22, 2026
That leaves Kyle Allen in line to start at quarterback, with Shane Buechele also expected to get meaningful work behind him. A few younger starters could still log limited snaps, but the real spotlight is on the roster bubble - the players trying to squeeze one more good showing out of preseason game No. 2.
For first-year head coach Joe Brady and first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, this one is less about the top line and more about the layers underneath it. Buffalo will use the game to get a longer look at the offensive line, the receiver group beyond DJ Moore, and the second level of a defense being shaped around a new 3-4 scheme.
The Bills’ offseason turned the page in a big way after their divisional-round playoff exit. Sean McDermott is out, Brady is in charge, and Leonhard has been tasked with rebuilding the defense from the ground up. The new look up front is built for flexibility, with the 3-4 alignment designed to give Buffalo more options.
Brandon Beane also made a major splash by trading for DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears, giving Allen another proven target and instantly changing the feel of the receiver room. Buffalo added more help on defense too, bringing in Bradley Chubb, CJ Gardner-Johnson, Geno Stone and Dee Alford in free agency. The draft added edge rusher TJ Parker to the mix as well.
The early returns have been encouraging. Buffalo opened the preseason with a 29-14 win over Carolina at the team’s new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium, where Moore caught three passes for 61 yards in his Bills debut and Leonhard’s defense handled its first live action well.
Cleveland, meanwhile, brings its own quarterback picture into the matchup. Shedeur Sanders is expected to start for the Browns, while Deshaun Watson is likely to see action as the team keeps sorting through the competition. Todd Monken has been clear about what these preseason snaps mean as the Browns work toward settling the job before the regular season.
The teams already got a heavy dose of each other during a joint practice at the Browns’ facility in Berea two days before kickoff. That kind of work often gives coaches a better read than a preseason game alone, since it provides real reps against a different opponent without the stop-start feel of live scoring.
From Buffalo’s side, the logic is simple: protect the stars, and spend the afternoon on the players fighting for jobs. Guard and inside linebacker are still unsettled heading toward final cuts, and those reps matter. A good showing now could be the difference between making the 53-man roster and heading home before Week 1.
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