Ex-Chiefs QB stuns Bills with breakout game before getting dumped

At the very least, Shane Buechele left a lasting impression in his final appearance for the Buffalo Bills.

Shortly after leading the Bills to their only preseason victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Buffalo's final tune-up before Week 1, Buechele was let go by the team before active roster cuts are due on Tuesday afternoon.

Buechele, who will be familiar to Kansas City Chiefs fans as a former developmental quarterback who entered the NFL with the team as a rookie free agent, was the only QB given work for Buffalo against Tampa Bay. He completed 25 of 30 passes for 278 yards, 1 touchdown and zero interceptions. He also rushed for another 20 yards on 4 carries.

Shane Buechele is now available for other teams to claim him on waivers after three years in Buffalo.

Despite his tenure with the Bills, Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane have decided to go with two quarterbacks on the roster, just like the Chiefs. That means Mitchell Trubisky is the sole backup available behind Josh Allen.

Buechele had been with the Bills since 2023, when they claimed him on waivers from the Chiefs before final roster cuts were due two years ago. Buechele spent the year on the team's practice squad and missed the next season with a neck injury suffered in a preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Before joining the Bills, Buechele was with the Chiefs from 2021-22 as a third quarterback waiting in the wings on the active roster. It was a rare position for a young arm during Andy Reid's tenure, but the Chiefs thought highly enough of Buechele to elevate him from the practice squad during November of his rookie season to keep him as a healthy yet inactive player so no other team could poach him.

At this point, the Bills are likely hoping Buechele won't be claimed so they can potentially add him back to the practice squad. However, given the teams that have been interested in him, and his positive preseason performance, Buechele is a decent candidate to be claimed on waivers.