Pittsford, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills are now five practices into training camp, and the quarterback competition between first-round pick Josh Allen, A.J. McCarron and Nathan Peterman is heating up.

NBC Sports NFL expert Peter King watched Bills practice Tuesday and NYup.com was able to talk to him about the quarterback competition and specifically Allen, who will try to win the job over the next several weeks.

NBC's Peter King believes the Buffalo Bills should err on the side of caution when it comes to rookie quarterback Josh Allen

King gives Allen a shot to emerge as the Bills' week one starter but doesn't think head coach Sean McDermott should rush anything.

"If he shows that he's ready, if they've got a great support system around him, a great group of players around him, then let him play," King said. "Otherwise I would very much err on the side of caution with Josh Allen."

The Bills completed the easy part of the search for a franchise quarterback, according to King. They found a player they believe in, but the process doesn't stop there.

"One of the biggest problems that I see in the years I've covered the league is that teams, over and over again, they say, 'OK, we've got our quarterback' and 'OK, we're good,'" King said. "(Former Cleveland Browns first-round quarterback) Tim Couch's rookie year ruined his NFL career. He wasn't ready to play. ... So to me, you always have to backstop yourself."

That's why the Bills have developed Peterman and signed the veteran McCarron in the offseason. King said the key is doing what's best for Allen so he's set up to succeed.

"In getting McCarron, a guy who is supremely motivated, for his shot -- this is his shot -- I look at it and say the Bills have done the right thing," King said. "Then you've got the Peterman thing. I mean, who knows? We'll see. To me, what Bills fans should be most concerned about is not opening day 2018, it's opening day 2019."

King stressed the importance of a quarterback's rookie season. Allen will be able to learn whether he's in the game or on the sidelines.

As for what Allen has to do to win the job out of camp, King said he needs to be steady and show improvement throughout the process.

"You need to show your coaches that, 'The job is not too big for me,'" King said. "The way the Bills will work, the way Brian Daboll will work -- he's been around greatness before, he's coached with Nick Saban and Bill Belichick, he's been around Tom Brady for a long time -- he knows. He's not going to play Josh Allen before his time.

"If he sits for the whole year and I'm a Bills fan, I do not begin to question Josh Allen. I begin to say, 'This is about learning. This is about putting this guy in the best possible position to be good long-term.'"