Who Should I Start? Mitchell Trubisky or Taylor Heinicke

Saturday, August 9, 7:21 PM

With reigning MVP Josh Allen sitting out Saturday's preseason opener against the New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills handed the reins to reserve quarterback Mitch Trubisky to start the game. The 30-year-old performed well in a 34-25 loss in the first half, completing nine of his 13 passing attempts for 138 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown to tight end Dawson Knox. In his final drive of the day, Trubisky found wide receiver Tyrell Shavers downfield for 58 yards to set the Bills up for a chip-shot field goal in the waning seconds of the half. Trubisky appeared in nine games for the Bills last year, mostly working in mop-up duty, and connected on 19 of 26 passes for 179 yards and two scores. Formerly a starter with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, Trubisky has spent the summer battling Mike White for the No. 2 role in Buffalo. White also played well on Saturday, meaning neither quarterback has pulled away in the race. The next opportunity to do so will come Aug. 17 against the Bears, who made the ill-fated decision to draft Trubisky second overall in 2017.

Sunday, August 10, 8:51 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Taylor Heinicke had a very rough outing in his first preseason game, leading all three drives in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints. The 32-year-old is competing with Trey Lance to be Justin Herbert's backup, looked inaccurate and stiff, and sailed the ball multiple times. He finished with only one completion for five yards and also took a safety that was later overturned. Heinicke's 2024 season as a backup with the Chargers saw him complete just three passes for 28 yards, and this performance does little to cement his hold on the backup role.