Which Bills Have the Most To Prove In Week 18?
Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The Buffalo Bills already have their No. 2 seed locked up for the playoffs, so the result of Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots doesn’t mean much for Buffalo. With that being the case, the Bills are expected to play a mix of starters and reserves to ensure they are as healthy as possible.
But just because this game is meaningless in terms of the standings (or even beneficial to lose in order to hurt the Patriots’ draft position), that doesn’t mean this isn’t a big game for a lot of players. Reserves will get a shot to play and prove why they deserve to be in the Bills’ long-term plans, or it could be an audition for another team. Let’s look at the players who have the most on the line from playing on Sunday.
Tyrell Shavers
Shavers already made quite the impression on Bills coaches and fans against the New York Jets last week. He has already been called up from the practice squad three times this season, so to play this weekend, he would need to be signed to the active roster.
Tyrell Shavers scores a 69-yard TD! #Bills | #BillsMafia | #GoBills | #NYJvsBUF | #BuiltInBuffalo pic.twitter.com/ScgUigNVbL
— Built in Buffalo (@BuiltInBuffalo_) December 29, 2024
In garbage time against the Jets, Shavers took a screen pass from Mitchell Trubisky 69 yards for a house call. Shavers showcased his speed, flashing a potentially cheap wide receiver option for next year and beyond for this Josh Allen-led offense.
It’s a big question if the Bills are going to sign Shavers to the active roster, but if he does, he should get plenty of time. Sean McDermott hasn’t exactly laid out what the team plans on doing and who might be playing at wide receiver, but one thing is for sure: If Shavers is in, we won’t have to wait until the 4th quarter to see him.
Cole Bishop
Bishop has started each of the last three games for the Bills at safety, but he still has so much to prove in this game. Bishop wasn’t dominant against the New York Jets, but in Week 16 against the New England Patriots, PFF gave him a grade of 65.5.
Bishop played so well in that game that he’s forcing a conversation about whether he should continue seeing increased snaps when Damar Hamlin is back. Right now, signs are pointing towards Hamlin being back Sunday, and that means this game could be a bit of an audition for the playoffs.
If Bishop has another huge game against the Patriots, it will be very hard for the Bills coaching staff to keep him off the field. He’s only a rookie, but he has gotten enough run this season that as long as he plays well enough, he should be ready for the bright lights.
Mitchell Trubisky
It would be a disservice not to mention Mitchell Trubisky getting another NFL start. This is his second stint with the Bills, and he’s trying to prove that he deserves to be back in Buffalo for 2025. He has a two-year contract, but the Bills have an opt-out after this season which will only cost Buffalo $750,000 in dead cap to exercise. Turnovers have still been an issue for the former No. 2 overall pick. Last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he finished with four touchdowns and five interceptions.
This game isn’t about winning for Trubisky, but if he can throw for 200 yards and a touchdown or two, conventional thinking would think that would be enough to earn the right to be the Bills backup next year. Even if the Bills decide to go a different direction, every touchdown thrown on Sunday is going to make him more money this offseason.
Von Miller
Obviously, Miller needs to be healthy for the playoffs, and chances are they might not actually play him all that much. But in terms of his own pocketbook, he has a lot to gain. Miller only needs one sack to trigger a $1.5 million bonus in his contract, having 5.0 on the season already. If the Bills decide not to play him, there is always the chance the Bills still pay him, but if he brings down Drake Maye on Sunday, that $1.5 million will be locked down, and that’s a whole lot of cheddar.
Up Next