Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Shane Buechele (6) drops back to pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Bills' QB choice vs. Buccaneers hints backup competition may already be decided

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ralph Ventre | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 11:01 PM ET

Not only did quarterback Shane Buechele start for the Buffalo Bills in their preseason finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he went the whole way.

Buechele, who was listed as a fourth-stringer on the team's unofficial depth chart, was the lone Bills' QB to take a snap during Saturday night's exhibition with the coaches opting to keep Mitch Trubisky and Mike White on the sideline for the duration of the 23-19 win.

Trubisky started the August 9 preseason opener against the New York Giants with White getting the starting nod on August 17 against the Chicago Bears. All three quarterbacks took snaps during each of the first two exhibition contests.

It was widely thought to be a head-to-head competition between Trubisky and White for Buffalo's QB2 role. As the incumbent, Trubisky entered as the presumed favorite and appeared to do enough to keep his job.

Trubisky averaged 7.4 yards per attempt, throwing 26 passes and completing 61.5 percent. White, who was sacked three times, completed 50.0 percent of 24 attempts for 6.9 yards per pass.

The fact that the Bills did not give either of the two any reps in the August 23 summer finale can be interpreted as them having already decided the winner of the backup battle.

Although Buechele had multiple impressive moments and played effectively throughout Saturday's victory, he always seemed to be playing for a practice squad spot.

Buechele, who has yet to take a regular season snap since joining the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2021, went 36-of-46 passing for 380 yards and one touchdown this summer. He spent the 2023 campaign on the Bills' practice squad before landing on season-ending Injured Reserve last summer.