The Buffalo Bills could make a trade for a veteran quarterback to solidify the backup job.
Buffalo signed Kyle Allen to a two-year, $4.1 million deal with $1.8 million guaranteed. However, Allen has struggled in camp, while Shane Buechele doesn’t seem ready to be a full-time backup.
With that, AirRaidBuffalo predicts the Bills will acquire Gardner Minshew from the Arizona Cardinals for offensive lineman Chase Lundt. Both Minshew and Lundt could be on the chopping block. So Buffalo and Arizona trade positions of strength to fill a need.
“That sent me searching around the league for realistic trade targets, with two names standing out: Gardner Minshew and Sam Howell,” the article read. “Minshew, however, is the safer choice for what Buffalo needs right now. He is older and carries a larger contract, albeit an expiring one, but he has also proven he can step into an NFL lineup and keep an offense functional. For a championship contender, that reliability matters more to me than chasing developmental upside. …
“Buffalo would be giving up a young offensive lineman with some upside. But it would be doing so to secure something far more valuable in 2026. A backup quarterback I could actually trust to survive meaningful regular-season snaps if Allen ever had to leave the lineup.”
Minshew is entering his eighth NFL season and has proven to be an effective backup quarterback. And if Josh Allen is forced to miss a game or two. Minshew is good enough to lead the offense and still keep the Bills in contention.
Minshew signed a one-year, $5.75 million deal with the Cardinals this offseason. He’s started 47 games, going 17-30.
Cardinals Could be Enticed by Bills O-Line
With Arizona having Jacoby Brissett as the starter and Carson Beck looking well, Minshew could be dealt.
Buffalo, meanwhile, has a surplus of young offensive linemen who were drafted on Day 3, and not all of them will make the roster. But, Arizona could take a flier on a developmental offensive lineman, which they get by acquiring Lundt.
“The other factor is Arizona’s offensive line, which remains a major concern. Chase Lundt has shown enough this summer that he could have legitimate value to a team desperate for offensive line help. Instead of sacrificing a future draft pick, I would use that depth to address a more immediate weakness and pursue a player-for-player swap for Minshew,” the article added.
Lundt was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of UConn. He made two appearances and was placed on IR in December due to a knee injury.
Bills Backup QB Has Been Struggling
Buffalo brought back Kyle Allen this offseason to be the team’s backup.
Allen is friends with Josh Allen, but he has struggled in camp, which has raised some concerns for analyst Joe Buscgalia.
” The obvious hope for the Bills is that their backup never has to play, but if it does happen in 2026, the drop-off to the second quarterback could be more extreme than it has been for most of Josh Allen’s career in Buffalo,” Buscgalia wrote.
The Bills will play the Cleveland Browns in their second preseason game on Saturday.
Bills Predicted Acquire 8-Year Veteran QB in 1-for-1 Swap Ahead of NFL Season