Mitch Trubisky emerges as Bills' backup QB after latest round of cuts
Mitch Trubisky will be the Buffalo Bills' backup quarterback for a second consecutive season. Trubisky officially won the competition Monday when the team cut Mike White, a league source confirmed to The Buffalo News. T
Mitch Trubisky will be the Buffalo Bills' backup quarterback for a second consecutive season.
In a backup role last season, Bills quarterback Mitch Trubisky completed 73.1% of his passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns.
Harry Scull Jr., Buffalo News
Trubisky officially won the competition Monday when the team cut Mike White and Shane Buechele, a league source confirmed to The Buffalo News. Both are candidates to join the Bills' practice squad.
White struggled in his final appearance of the preseason, completing only 4 of 11 passes for 54 yards in a 38-0 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. His performance in practice also dipped late in training camp, while Trubisky seemed to get better. Trubisky, the second pick of the 2017 draft, completed 16 of his 26 passes in the preseason for 193 yards and one touchdown.
"It's so good having Mitch in the room," Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady said earlier this month. "He has so much experience, and he's been in this offense both with (Brian Daboll) and then seeing it kind of coming back around. And so he knows a lot of the why for some of the stuff that was consistent from before, that a guy like Mike White and Shane don't.
"Mitch's athleticism is incredible in there. He has great command. He's played a lot a meaningful football. And to have a backup quarterback, you don't get a lot reps in practice and it's really tough to be a backup quarterback."
The Bills sat both for the preseason finale against Tampa Bay and started Buechele, who went 25 of 30 for 278 yards and one touchdown in a 23-19 win over the Buccaneers.
Trubisky was the Bills' backup in 2021, before he spent two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned to Buffalo prior to last season and appeared in nine games, completing 19 of his 26 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. His mobility, consistency and experience made him a better fit than White to backup Josh Allen. If he were to ever miss time with an injury, the Bills would need someone athletic and experienced enough to run their offense with all its shifts and motions. Allen hasn't missed a game due to injury since his rookie season in 2018.
Trubisky has started 57 games and appeared in 78 through eight NFL seasons, while White hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since 2022. He needed to create more separation in the competition to convince the Bills to cut or trade Trubisky. The team must set its 53-man roster by Tuesday at 4 p.m., Eastern.
"The thing I love about Mitch is he’s mobile, he’s played varsity snaps," Bills coach Sean McDermott said during training camp. "I have a lot of trust in Mitch, a lot of belief in him. And he’s faced a ton of adversity already in his career, in his journey and he remains steadfast in his belief in himself. He showed he’s got good skill, and the players respect him and trust him."