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The Buffalo Bills have playoff expectations once again, all of which lie on the shoulders of quarterback Josh Allen. They do have a backup plan, however, adding Mike White to their quarterback room on Tuesday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Bills will be the third AFC East team White has played for.
Staying in the AFC East: Former Dolphins and Jets QB Mike White is signing with the Buffalo Bills practice squad, per sources. The Bills will be White’s third different AFC East team in three seasons. pic.twitter.com/4EX1JchHhz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 28, 2024
Much of White's playing time came in relief of an injured Zach Wilson in 2021 and 2022 with the New York Jets. In seven starts across the two seasons, the Jets went 2-5. Despite the poor record, he became a cult hero for Jets fans as he was much better than Wilson in those games. He did not start in his one season with Miami, making six appearances in blowouts throughout the season.
The Bills hope to have a similar experience with White as there is no quarterback controversy brewing in Western New York. There is a slim chance the Bills could make the playoffs if Allen were to get injured even with White's solid numbers on bad Jets teams.
With White in to be the backup, the Bills have their roster set as they look to shake off the demons and finally get to the Super Bowl. After another brutal loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, they are ready to avenge that loss and win the conference this season.
The Bills expect to win the AFC East for the fifth consecutive season. Since the Brady-Belichick dynasty ended, they have dominated the division. Even with a star-studded offense in Miami and Aaron Rodgers leading the charge for the Jets, the Bills still have a great chance of winning the East.
Expectations for the Bills in 2024
FanDuel has the Jets as the favorites for the division despite the Bills' dominance. That is because of major losses all around the field for Buffalo. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are both gone, star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is on the Texans, and Gabe Davis is in Jacksonville. While they still have the star quarterback, the surrounding cast is starting to dissipate.
This is the biggest issue in building a team in the NFL today. The quarterbacks command such a large salary that it makes keeping the rest of the core together almost impossible. Diggs' departure did not have anything to do with salary, as he was unhappy in Buffalo. The rest of the moves can be chalked up to salary.
As Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes showed last season, a great quarterback and coach can cover up roster deficits. While Allen and Sean McDermott have not accomplished what their Chiefs counterparts have, they certainly are two of the best. They will have to make some magic to get back to a game against Kansas City in January.
Last season, the Bills lost heartbreakingly to Kansas City in the Divisional Round. They finally had a home game against the Chiefs and had a field goal to tie the game with 1:47 to play. Tyler Bass missed it to the right and the Chiefs advanced.
Mike White will not be the difference between the Bills winning in the playoffs this season. If he is asked to come out and play in the regular season, expect the backup to fair well.
