The Buffalo Bills have one of the most stable quarterback situations in the NFL, riding an MVP candidate in Josh Allen who has not missed a game due to injury since his rookie season.
But the Bills have failed to find a long-term backup to Allen, instead tapping a series of veteran signal-callers with only one attempt to find a new quarterback in the NFL draft. That could change this year, with one insider suggesting the Bills would be the top fit for a quarterback who was once rated as the top in his class.
Bills Could Have Sights on Texas QB Quinn Ewers
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers went into the 2024 season as one of the top quarterback prospects, but injuries and inconsistent play dinged his draft stock and he is now seen as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick. The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen believes the Bills could be the best fit, giving Ewers the chance to develop in a stable quarterback room.
That could be a disappointment for a quarterback once projected to go at the top of the first round, but Klassen suggested he could make the most of the situation.
“Not every player or team gets their ideal match in an exercise like this. Sometimes, teams have to settle for whoever is left on the dance floor,” Klassen wrote.
“From the Bills’ perspective, a young backup quarterback should be on the table, because Mitchell Trubisky has just one year left on his deal. It makes some sense for the Bills to get ahead of things early and get a developmental player in the pipeline.”
Klassen added that Ewers could have the chance to work on his deficiencies in Buffalo, learning from a coaching staff that helped develop Allen into the league MVP.
“Ewers would bring functional athleticism and arm talent for Joe Brady,” Klassen wrote. “He still struggles with pocket presence and touch accuracy, especially down the field, but there’s enough talent there to mold a functional backup.”
The Bills have used a draft pick on a quarterback only once since landing Allen in 2018, taking Jake Fromm with a fifth-round pick in 2020. He spent one season on the practice squad before being plucked by the New York Giants in 2021.
Bills Could Find Value in Quinn Ewers
The Bills could have the chance to benefit just as much from the pairing as Ewers. While the quarterback would have the opportunity to improve on his deficiencies and prove he’s an NFL-caliber signal-caller, the Bills could also find a more cost-controlled backup to Allen.
The Athletic’s Tim Graham suggested this week that the Bills could emulate the strategy Bill Belichick employed with the New England Patriots, regularly using draft picks on quarterbacks to back up Tom Brady. The Patriots found several capable backups utilizing this approach, inserting Matt Cassel after Brady’s season-ending injury in 2008 and developing Jimmy Garoppolo into a top trade prospect.
The Bills currently have three other quarterbacks under contract, but none are signed beyond the 2025 season. That could give the team the chance to develop a prospect like Ewers more deliberately, not having to throw them into game situations during their rookie season.
