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Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci signed with the Buffalo Bills, per the veteran’s agency JL Sports. The move marks the quarterback’s third team as DiNucci spent last season with the Denver Broncos.
The news comes after Bills reserve quarterback Shane Buechele sustained a neck injury. DiNucci will likely slide into the third quarterback role behind Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky.
It was DiNucci’s familiarity with Sean Payton’s system in Denver that proved to give the veteran the nod over other available quarterbacks. Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady operates a similar system to Payton.
“DiNucci, 27, had been a free agent since May after spending the 2023 season on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad so his addition to the roster may have left some fans wondering why the Bills chose him over other options,” NewYorkUpstate.com’s Ryan Talbot detailed in an August 12, 2024, story titled, “Why Ben DiNucci made the most sense for Joe Brady and the Buffalo Bills at QB.” “The answer comes down to one name: Sean Payton.
“Buffalo is looking for a quarterback who can step in quickly as the No. 3 quarterback is expected to play significant reps in the second and third preseason games. DiNucci may not have any experience in Brady’s system, but Payton’s is as close as it gets. Payton mentored Brady from 2017-2018 when the now-Bills offensive coordinator served as Payton’s offensive assistant,” Talbot continued.
“Simply put, Brady comes from the Sean Payton coaching tree, and Brady’s concepts–albeit with different names–will be very similar to what DiNucci had to learn last year on the Broncos’ practice squad.”
Ben DiNucci Was Selected by the Cowboys in the 7th Round of the 2020 NFL Draft & Was Released in 2022
The Cowboys selected DiNucci in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL draft. The quarterback played in three games for Dallas in 2020, including one start.
DiNucci was released by Dallas on August 29, 2022, as the team finalized their 53-man roster ahead of Week 1. The quarterback became a familiar face for fans as one of the focal points of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” when the Cowboys were featured in 2021.
Trey Lance Will Get the Preseason to Attempt to Win the Backup Quarterback Job Over Cooper Rush
Dallas faces their own quarterback questions as the team holds three signal-callers on the roster. Dak Prescott is locked in as the team’s franchise quarterback despite the uncertainty surrounding his future contract.
Last season, Dallas kept Cooper Rush and Trey Lance on the team’s roster, but there is no guarantee the franchise will do the same in 2024. The Cowboys are giving Trey Lance an opportunity to earn the backup spot over Rush, but the former top-three pick has not had a glowing start to training camp.
Lance threw for 188 yards and no touchdowns while completing more than 60% of his passes in the Cowboys’ 13-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams during the team’s preseason opener. The quarterback showed off his athleticism by adding six carries for 44 rushing yards.
According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Lance is expected to get the majority of the remaining preseason reps to potentially prove he can win the backup job.
“The plan isn’t expected to change much at quarterback for the Cowboys’ next two preseason games,” Machota wrote in an August 11 article titled, “Cowboys QB Trey Lance ‘making good progress,’ but inconsistent in preseason opener.” “Dak Prescott is unlikely to play. Rush probably won’t get too much more work than he did Sunday.
“So that leaves Lance to get the majority of the snaps in both games. It’ll be interesting to see how he builds on his first preseason snaps since he was with the San Francisco 49ers last August. He should be able to take more from Sunday’s reps than anything he experienced in practices with the Cowboys last season or the work he has received more recently in OTAs, minicamp and training camp when players aren’t hitting the quarterback.”
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