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Is the Next QB of the Buffalo Bills a Canadian?

Posted on April 16, 2025 - 1:59 am by

The Buffalo Bills are set at quarterback. They have the reigning NFL MVP, Josh Allen. While Josh is far from being a rookie, he still has several years left in the tank to, hopefully, carry the franchise to their first Super Bowl win.

That doesn’t mean the Bills don’t need an insurance policy, though. Injuries happen, causing players to miss games. While a talent like Josh Allen is irreplaceable, a quality substitute can save a season. Just look at the early 1990s Bills with Frank Reich backing up Jim Kelly. He managed to pull off the greatest comeback in NFL history at the time and guided the team to their third straight Super Bowl appearance.

Reich was good—not as good as Kelly, but starter-caliber. That’s why having a good backup quarterback is so important. It’s also very hard to find a good backup.

Buffalo Bills Quarterback Currently on the Roster

The Bills do not have a shortage of quarterbacks on the team. Aside from Allen, they have former NFL starter and first-round pick Mitchell Trubisky. They also have Mike White, a former starter in the league, and Shane Buechele, who is on their practice squad.

So, why would they want more with four QBs already on the roster? The answer is because that’s what good teams do.

Why the Buffalo Bills Could Draft a Quarterback

It’s something plenty of Bills pundits have brought up leading to the NFL draft on April 24. A good example of why teams draft a QB even when they have an unquestioned starter can be found with the Green Bay Packers. The Packers didn’t need a quarterback when they drafted Jordan Love because they had Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers aged, fell out of favor, and ended up out of Green Bay. Love took over, and is now considered a top-tier QB, and the Packers have barely missed a beat. They also did this with Brett Favre, who was replaced by Aaron Rodgers.

It’s not a move you’re making for now. It’s one for 3-5 years down the road because, well, you never know. Injuries, falling outs, and just losing a step can happen to anyone, and while there is no concern about that happening to Allen, good teams always prepare for the worst.

Even though the Bills have three other QBs, they all have baggage or big question marks. Drafting a rookie who may need time to develop but learns your ways from the start can give your team a huge advantage. No baggage, fewer questions.

Is the Next QB of the Buffalo Bills a Canadian?

Maybe. Nick Sabato of the Niagara Gazette brought up an interesting prospect on X:

Taylor Elgersma

Elgersma won the Hec Crighton Trophy last season. As Sabato says, it’s essentially the Canadian Heisman. College sports are called U Sports in Canada (University Sports), and while it is not the NCAA, plenty of NFL talent have come out of it.

In eight regular-season games last year, Elgersma completed 74.5% of his passes for 2,643 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He was only the second ever U Sports player to be invited to the Senior Bowl.

He’s also very Josh Allen-like in his size: 6’4″ and 216 pounds.

He took part in the Bufflao Pro Day an impresed. The Green Bay Packers also have invited him for a pre-draft visit: one of only 30 that teams get.

What does this all mean? Teams have an interest in him, and clearly there is talent there. It’s the type of talent that will need time, though. As we have established, U Sports is not the NCAA, which, of course, is not the NFL. The speed of the game changes drastically at each level. That doesn’t mean Elgersma can’t play in the NFL. It just means he likely needs time to learn and adjust. A perfect team to do that with would be the Buffalo Bills, and the perfect person to model his game after is Josh Allen.

Where Could the Bills Draft Taylor Elgersma?

It would not be a day 1 or 2 pick. No offense to Tyler, but his lack of experience doesn’t warrant such a pick. It’s a weak QB draft, but even still, it would be hard to see a U Sports player like him getting drafted in rounds one, two, or three. It would certainly be a day 3 pick, if not an undrafted free agent. Judging by the Packers’ interest, he is likely to be drafted, though. I imagine the Bills would look at him no earlier than the 5th round. The Bils have three picks in round five. Assuming they don’t trade them, that might be the time. They also have two 6th-round picks.

The NFL Draft is coming up on Thursday, April 24, and runs through Saturday, April 26. Round 1 is Thursday, rounds 2 and 3 are on Friday, and rounds 4 through 7 are on Saturday.

Looking to see some of the Bills’ recent draft history? Here are all the picks, for better and for worse, by GM Brandon Beane.