The Buffalo Bills lost the AFC East title with Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and have little to play for other than seeding in Week 18, which could give the team a chance to sit ailing quarterback Josh Allen.
But if the Bills choose to go that route, it could force them to bring on a new quarterback after their third-stringer was poached by the rival Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills have just two quarterbacks left on the roster, which could leave the team thin if they hope to give Allen a break against the New York Jets before the start of the playoffs.
Bills Lost Practice Squad Quarterback
The Bills lost practice squad quarterback Shane Buechele after the Chiefs watched Patrick Mahomes go down with a season-ending injury and backup Gardner Minshew was hurt in the next game. Buechele had spent time with the Chiefs before coming to Buffalo and served as backup to Chris Oladokun for the final weeks of the season in Kansas City.
The move left the Bills with just Allen and backup Mitch Trubisky on the roster. If the Bills aimed to sit Allen in the season finale — likely after Allen takes the first snap to continue his league-leading streak of consecutive starts for a quarterback — it could mean bringing on a third quarterback for more insurance.
While there are not many serviceable quarterbacks available in free agency, the Bills could bring back a familiar face like Ben DiNucci, the journeyman who closed out the 2024 preseason after the Bills suffered a spate of injuries.
The Bills could also choose to play Allen, with some potential limitations. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Bills quarterback would be healthy enough to play after aggravating a foot injury in Sunday’s game.
“Josh Allen is going to be good to go for the Buffalo Bills ahead of week 18,” Rapoport said. “My understanding is he is going to be ready to go.
âTwo weeks in a row of getting X-rays on his foot, two weeks in a row of limping after the game, that is a thing, at least certainly worth us talking about. But all indications are he is fine and actually in a better place than he was last week.”
Another AFC Rival Resting Their Quarterback
Another team jostling for seeding in the AFC will be sitting their quarterback in Week 18. The Los Angeles Chargers announced that Justin Herbert would not start in the season finale against the Denver Broncos, with head coach Jim Harbaugh saying the team is giving him some time to heal a broken bone in his hand.
“The guys that have the most bruises and need the most healing, we’ll pull them back. Justin Herbert would be one,” Harbaugh said, via the team’s official website.
“He’s got bruises that need to heal,” Harbaugh added.
The Chargers coach added that the team would be evaluating other players to see who could benefit from an extra week of rest.
“Winning and being healthy, those are our two objectives,” Harbaugh said. “Guys that we think, the doctors, trainers, myself, the organization, that have the most bruises and need that time the most, we’ve decided that’s the direction we’re going.”
The Bills fell to the No. 7 seed with Sunday’s loss to the Eagles, but could move up as far as No. 5 with a win and losses from the Chargers and Houston Texans.
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