Bills vs. Bears — 2023 NFL Preseason Week 3

Exhale, Bills Mafia, the Buffalo Bills’ preseason is almost complete. In just over two weeks’ time, the Bills’ 2023 NFL regular season begins. One Bills Drive has much to accomplish before the team’s Week 1 juggernaut against the New York Jets under the Meadowlands lights of Monday Night Football.

Coming into this game, there’s been a fair share of big news stories involving the Bills. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues to find his name in the spotlight, his life under a microscope. This week, that’s been thanks to Steven A. Smith, who doubled down, citing unnamed sources who told him Diggs doesn’t want to be in Buffalo. Diggs immediately refuted Smith’s claims, to which Smith scratched back suggesting Diggs check with those close to him.

Late Friday evening, news broke that the Bills had attempted to trade with the San Francisco 49ers for quarterback Trey Lance. One would gather this implies they seek to improve the quarterback play behind Josh Allen. But is that something they’d have found in Lance?

After last week’s downer against the Pittsburgh Steelers, head coach Sean McDermott stated that the starters will play, including Josh Allen. It remains to be seen how long the first-team offense and defense will be on the field.

Among those unlikely to play is quarterback Matt Barkley, who entered this week with a hand injury, and hasn’t practiced ahead of the game in Chicago. Linebacker Terrel Bernard still isn’t practicing, sidelined with a hamstring injury he suffered during training camp.

While the starters will play, the game in the Windy City should find those fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster extra motivated. With roster cut downs coming next Tuesday, August 29, plenty of players are hoping to put out compelling enough tape to stick with the Bills or entice another team to bring them on board.