CLEVELAND, OHIO - AUGUST 22: Kyle Allen #11 of the Buffalo Bills throws a pass during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field on August 22, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of the ongoing storylines around the Buffalo Bills this offseason has focused on the backup for quarterback Josh Allen. It is understandable that this is an important topic to fans, as Allen is considered the top quarterback in the NFL.
The club knew they would have a new backup in place after Mitchell Trubisky signed with the Tennessee Titans. Brandon Beane opted to have a familiar face return to Buffalo, with the signing of Kyle Allen. While the 30-year old journeyman played with the Bills in 2023, there were plenty of questions if he was an adequate backup for the team. An uneven training camp certainly added fuel to the fire, that had many questioning – myself included – if the Bills needed to find a more capable back-up. Thankfully for the Bills, and their fans, Allen put those questions to rest with his performance on Saturday.
As expected, Kyle Allen got the starting nod on Saturday as most of the starters received a day off. Allen was effective and efficient on the day, completing 10 of 12 attempts for 128 yards. He led the Bills to two scoring drives on the day, and led a successful two-minute drill to end the half with a touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman. Allen connected with Trent Sherfield four times on the day for a total of 54 yards – boosting his roster chances as well.
Now that Allen has played two successful preseason games this season (completing 24 of 28 attempts), I hope that Bills fans can relax a bit when it comes to the back-up quarterback. I just hope that we do not need to see Allen take the field this season, unless it is in garbage time of a Bills blowout victory.