Buffalo Bills: EJ Manuel saga resolves itself to a certain extent

EJ Manuel may not start for the Buffalo Bills but he isn’t going anywhere

Regardless of his current standing in the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback competition, EJ Manuel fans can at least breath a little easier. According to Rex Ryan, the 2013 first round draft pick isn’t going anywhere.

More from Buffalo Bills News

The subject of the Bills quarterbacks came up in an interview with buffalobills.com lead journalist Chris Brown. The head coach was asked if he is likely to keep two of three quarterbacks on the roster?

Ryan said: “We’re going to keep 53 really good players. I have a funny feeling that means three quarterbacks.”

In many respects, this makes a lot of sense, with Manuel’s contract being fully guaranteed. Including this seasons, he has two years left on his deal, with a club option in 2017.

It helps that the 25-year old is on a rookie contract, which will pay out just over $2.8 million during the next two seasons. It is also worth noting his cap hit for the 2015 season is just over $2.4 million, meaning it would cost almost as much to cut him.

Jul 31, 2015; Pittsford, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) throws a pass during training camp at St. John Fisher College. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Interestingly, the admission from Ryan comes at a time when Manuel was beginning to believe his future may well lay elsewhere. He discussed his current situation in an interview with John Wawrow of the Associated Press on Monday.

Manuel said: “If I play well, it should take care of itself. Whether it’s here or whether it’s somewhere else, I don’t know.”

Wawrow asked the 2013 Senior Bowl MVP is he had given much thought about where he might end up going, pending if he was cut or traded: “I haven’t. I don’t know how that works.

“(However), I also understand the business of it. I don’t know. All I can do right now is continue to play well.”

What must be frustrating for Manuel is that he played reasonably well in the first preseason contest against the Carolina Panthers. He led two scoring drives and delivered the highlight of the game, a spectacular 51-yard touchdown bomb to Deonte Thompson.

Keep in mind the 2012 ACC champion managed this, despite playing with the reserves. This included having to deal with untimely drops by receivers, and two consecutive bad snaps by Alex Kupper.

Regardless of the above circumstances, Manuel has still worked exclusively with the third team in practice since the Panthers game. Ryan acknowledged this is because the quarterback will play with the same unit, in the upcoming preseason contest with the Cleveland Browns.

As it stands, the two-time FSU football team offensive MVP is definitely ranked behind Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel. As such, all he can continue to do is work hard in practice and the remaining preseason contests, and hope he gets an opportunity to move up the pecking order.

Next: Don't count out EJ Manuel just yet

More from BuffaLowDown

Home/Buffalo Bills News