Getty Bills quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Josh Allen look on before a game.
The Buffalo Bills are calling in reinforcement at quarterback in a move that has some insiders scratching their heads.
The team announced that veteran Mike White had been elevated from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. The reason for White’s elevation was not entirely clear, as neither starter Josh Allen nor backup Mitch Trubisky had been listed on the injury report.
“Mike White elevation is curious,” wrote reporter Matt Bove of WKBW in a post on X.
Bove suggested there could be another motivation for White’s move to the active roster.
Bills Rewarding Veteran Quarterback
After spending the first 11 games of the season on the practice squad, White will have the chance to put on a uniform for Sunday’s critical game against the 49ers. Bove suggested that the Bills may have been a financial move to reward White for accepting a spot on the practice squad.
“My guess is White is on the active roster as either a 1) reward for his efforts or 2) previously negotiated in the summer that he would be active for a certain amount of games for the added $,” Bove shared on X.
White will get the chance to serve as the emergency quarterback for Sunday’s game, with a new NFL rule allowing players to elevate an emergency signal-caller from their practice squad.
White has been a familiar face to Bills fans, playing for the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. After he was released by the Dolphins late this summer, White got some personal outreach that helped him sign with the Bills.
“Got released in Miami and drove up to Tampa where I lived,” White told reporters in August. “(Brandon) Beane called my agent, and the next thing I know I get a text from Josh with two eye emojis and all that good stuff. I do know it happened really quick.”
Josh Allen Getting Healthy, Ready for Wild Weather
Allen has dealt with some bumps and bruises this season, including an injury to his left hand that has forced him to wear a protective glove for much of the season. Allen told reporters that he had a chance to rest during the team’s bye week — a time that he also proposed to girlfriend Hailee Steinfeld — and was looking forward to Sunday’s game against the 49ers.
Allen also said he was ready for the potentially wild weather, with a major storm system blowing across the suburbs south of the city of Buffalo and dumping feet of snow on Orchard Park, where the Bills play.
Allen is a veteran to playing in cold and messy conditions, with several snow games in recent years including a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last year that had to be delayed by a day so the region could dig out from a massive snowstorm.
“That’s just kind of the nature of the beast in Buffalo,” Allen said. “You have to be able to play in elements like this.”
The Bills would be able to clinch their fifth consecutive AFC East title with a win.
Comments