The Buffalo Bills brought in veteran quarterback last season to bolster depth behind Josh Allen, giving the team some added insurance in the QB room.
However, he could be in for a tough fight to secure a spot on the active roster this summer. According to The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia, he is currently on the outside looking in. Buscaglia predicts that the Bills will likely stick to their usual approach and keep just two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster — a move that would leave him as the odd man out in a competition with Mitch Trubisky for the backup role.
Bills Bring Rare Quarterback Competition to Training Camp
As Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic pointed out, the Bills have typically avoided true quarterback battles in recent years, preferring to identify a clear veteran backup behind Josh Allen and bringing in a third arm primarily for practice squad duties.
However, the addition of top star changes that narrative. White’s arrival has created genuine competition for Mitch Trubisky, who previously served as Allen’s backup in 2021 and returned to Buffalo last year.
“Unlike previous seasons, the quarterback group isn’t as decided before training camp begins,” Buscaglia wrote. “The Bills insinuated after the spring that the backup job would need to be earned, and given Mike White’s starting experience, that isn’t just talk.”
While Trubisky is currently projected to have the upper hand, Buscaglia notes it’s far from a done deal. Trubisky’s edge comes from a few key factors: a partially guaranteed contract, familiarity with the Bills’ system, and a mobility that more closely mirrors Josh Allen’s playing style.
“Trubisky and White will likely go head-to-head this summer,” Buscaglia added, “but for now, Trubisky gets the leg up due to his partially guaranteed salary and the fact that he has more of a mobile element to his game than White. Having a rushing element mirrors Allen’s game a bit more, and that could really help Trubisky win the job. However, make no mistake, this competition appears wide open.”
White certainly isn’t just a camp body, though. With seven career starts between the Jets and Dolphins, he brings meaningful game experience. Over his career, White has completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,247 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He even saw some late-season action last year, albeit limited—finishing 3-for-11 for 28 yards in the Dolphins’ season finale.
Ultimately, the Bills may stick with their trend of keeping only two quarterbacks on the active roster, which could leave White on the outside looking in. But with a real battle brewing, his performance in camp could shake up the depth chart.
Bills Rolling With MVP Josh Allen
The Bills are undoubtedly hoping that neither Mitch Trubisky nor Mike White is called into action this season, as the plan remains to ride with their durable franchise quarterback, Josh Allen. Since his rookie year, Allen has been a true iron man, not missing a single game over the past five seasons despite dealing with various nagging injuries along the way.
In recent seasons, Allen has made a conscious effort to limit the number of hits he takes, aiming to preserve his body for the long haul. Still, he remains a physical presence under center — particularly when it comes to short-yardage situations and the ever-controversial tush push.
While the NFL briefly considered a proposal to ban the play, which has become a staple for several teams in key moments, Allen was vocal in his support of keeping it legal. The Bills often run the play with him taking the snap, using his strength and size to power through for first downs.
“I’m a big believer in if you can’t stop it, keep running it, right?” Allen told Sports Illustrated.
“I think that there’s a few teams that do it better than others, but then you look at a few teams that try to do it, and it doesn’t have the same success. Because, one, they maybe don’t practice it enough or, two, they don’t have the guys to do it. And just because a couple teams do it better than others, I don’t feel like it should be banned.”
With Allen’s unique skill set and toughness, the Bills will continue to lean on him as both a playmaker and short-yardage weapon — while hoping their QB depth chart remains more of an insurance policy than a necessity in 2025.