Fans expecting continuity at the backup quarterback spot for the buffalo bills will need to recalibrate after Mitchell Trubisky’s departure. On Monday ET, he agreed to a two-year deal to join the Tennessee Titans as the backup to Cam Ward, creating the vacancy in Buffalo’s room.
Buffalo Bills quarterback room
The primary consequence is immediate: Buffalo must find a trusted veteran to back up Josh Allen for the coming season. Shane Buechele was re-signed after the season but is described in the coverage as an ideal practice-squad option rather than the true answer under center. With limited draft capital this year, the team faces pressure to seek a proven free-agent veteran rather than spend a mid-round pick on an untested rookie.
Mitchell Trubisky’s move to Tennessee
Trubisky’s two-year agreement with Tennessee means he will serve behind the 2025 No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, on the Titans’ depth chart. The move reunites Trubisky with Brian Daboll, who is in Tennessee’s coaching mix, and shifts Trubisky from a reserve role behind Josh Allen in 2024 and 2025 to a new backup assignment under a different staff.
Brian Daboll and Trubisky’s history
Trubisky first spent a season with the Bills in 2021 when Brian Daboll was the offensive coordinator, a connection that preceded Daboll’s 2022 departure to become head coach of the New York Giants. After that initial Buffalo term, Trubisky signed a two-year contract to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter, struggled in that role, and then returned to Buffalo in 2024 to reprise his role as Allen’s backup.
The loss removes more than a backup player for Buffalo; Trubisky served as a close friend and on-field coach for Allen between series, a role the team will have to replace beyond just throwing a roster spot at the position. Coverage notes Trubisky has operated as a reserve option behind Allen in 2024 and 2025, and his departure severs a familiar rapport inside the quarterback room.
The next concrete milestone is the start of the NFL free agency legal tampering period on Monday ET, when teams can begin formal negotiations. If the Bills prioritize adding a veteran in that window, they would avoid turning to an untested rookie as their primary emergency option.
