The Buffalo Bills close out their 2026 NFL preseason schedule with a home tilt against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Joe Brady has said some starters will play this evening, but that quarterback Josh Allen will not be among that group. Despite anyone’s insistence that Allen and the offense need as many reps as reasonably possible, the best news is that Allen won’t be put in harm’s way on the field this evening.
Instead, look for quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Shane Buechele taking snaps tonight.
Despite a game that’s meaningless in the box score, it’s a very important game for a lot of guys on the field of play. Who plays when and for how long tends to go a long way towards their path to a roster spot. At least that was true in prior seasons under former head coach Sean McDermott.
All of Bills Mafia wants tonight’s game to come and go as quickly as possible, and with little necessary drama attached. That said, there are a lot of intriguing story lines to watch for, perhaps none bigger in this game than that of second-year cornerback Maxwell Hairston. With a defensive scheme change, are Hairston’s days as a starter numbered, or can he succeed as needed in man-cover looks and hold back rookie cornerback Davison Igbinosun? Tonight could tell us a lot about Hairston’s immediate future whether he doesn’t play, or plays and plays a lot of snaps.
There’s a battle at running back behind James Cook III, Ty Johnson, and Ray Davis. Obviously each of that trio has a lock on starting snaps, however a pair of young running backs in Frank Gore Jr. and Ian Wheeler will do their best to earn significant consideration for the regular season and beyond. Is this Gore’s year despite the noise that Wheeler’s tracks have made?
The top of the wide receiver depth chart seems fairly settled, but there are a lot of options to consider behind starting wideouts DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer. Keep your eyes on rookies Skyler Bell, Ja’Mori Maclin, and Max Tomczak, plus veteran receivers Mecole Hardman Jr., Trent Sherfield, Stephen Gosnell, Dante Pettis, and Quentin Skinner — especially when and where each player takes snaps against the Steelers.
On defense, focus on how defensive tackle Greg Gaines is deployed, and what his contributions bring to Buffalo’s trenches. Plus, is the battle at linebacker settled? Will the Bills march on with Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams as the team’s starting inside ‘backers, or will Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Joe Andreessen, Keonta Jenkins, Jimmy Ciarlo, Theron Gaines, or even Otis Reese IV give new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard pause before naming starters inside?
There are a lot of guys battling for a spot at outside linebacker/edge rusher behind Greg Rousseau, Bradley Chubb, and Michael Hoecht. Will rookie EDGE players in TJ Parker and Cade Denhoff make a move up the chart this evening, or will it be Javon Solomon? What about veteran defenders like Mike Danna and Andre Jones Jr.?
With that, here’s your open thread for all of tonight’s action during Bills vs. Steelers. Remember, we only have one game thread for each matchup this season so you can sit tight in this space all game long. As always, be kind to one another — and in all things… Go Bills!
