Just hours before the Buffalo Bills had a chance to clinch their seventh straight trip to the playoffs, they lost a critical player.
The Bills reached the verge of a playoff berth after Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns, and had a chance to finish the task with the Indianapolis Colts losing to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
While the Bills are heading into the final two weeks of the season looking to improve their seeding and make a late bid for a division title, they will do it without an important member of the quarterback room.
Bills Lose Important Quarterback
The Kansas City Chiefs faced a desperate quarterback situation after losing Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL last week and then backup Gardner Minshew in this week’s game. That left them with just practice squad quarterback Chris Oladokun as the only quarterback on the roster.
The Chiefs found depth by poaching Shane Buechele from Buffalo’s practice squad. Buechele has served as the No. 3 quarterback on the Bills for the last three seasons, but previously spent time on Kansas City’s practice squad.
As Pete Sweeney of the Kansas City Star noted, Buechele was once a depth quarterback deep behind Mahomes on the depth chart.
“Buechele, 27, began his NFL career with the Chiefs when he signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of SMU following the 2021 NFL Draft,” Sweeney wrote. “He spent two seasons in Kansas City (2021â22), primarily on the teamâs practice squad. When the Chiefs waived him at their 2023 53-man roster cutdown, he signed with Buffaloâs practice squad, where he has remained since.”
Shane Buechele’s Important Role in Buffalo
Though Buechele was never elevated from the practice squad in Buffalo and never appeared in a game, he did play an important role in helping starter Josh Allen prepare for games.
Buechele has been a coach of sorts for Allen, helping the reigning league MVP work on improving his mechanics.
âI think I see mechanics pretty well and I like watching it, too,â Buechele said, via the Niagara Gazette. âI like watching the mechanics of throwing the football and where I can help as much as possible. Heâs one of the most talented guys in the NFL at throwing the football, so he doesnât need a lot of work, but I can help.â
Buechele said he wondered when the Bills initially signed him if the team was just looking for some intel on Mahomes, but said he quickly felt at home with a team that wanted him in their quarterback room.
âIt was really cool to see them just want me here,â Buechele said. âThat was an emotional time for (my family) because weâve never been hurt before. So when that happened and they kind of lended a hand out and said they wanted me here and wanted me to help, that was a good feeling.â
Buechele is expected to spend the final two games with the Chiefs and could return to the Bills on a reserve/futures contract in January.
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