The Bills declined to exercise E.J. Manuel‘s fifth-year option for the 2017 season, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. The quarterback would have been due an $11.357MM salary in 2017 if the team had pulled the trigger. 
[RELATED: 2017 Fifth-Year Option Decision Tracker]
Manuel is now slated to earn a fully-guaranteed base salary of $2.827MM salary in 2016 before hitting the open market next spring. Given that Manuel has been squeezed out of the starting lineup in favor of Tyrod Taylor, today’s news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. The Bills also added to their quarterback depth chart by selecting Ohio State’s Cardale Jones last week.
Manuel has not been the Bills’ full-time starting quarterback since Week 4 of the 2014 season. The Bills traded down from No. 8 to No. 16 in the first round of the 2013 draft to select Manuel and while he showed some promise early on, things have not panned out as the team hoped they would.
All things considered, coach Rex Ryan says that he likes Manuel as his No. 2 QB.
“I’m not done with EJ Manuel, either (as a backup to Taylor),” Ryan said in February. “I think EJ’s got the talent, the size and all that stuff. Sometimes, guys just take a little bit longer to develop, so we’ll see how that goes.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Could be a Chip Kelly target next year when the cut Kaep
Rex that screwed wiesel knows Manuel is the greatest quarterback prospect he has ever had. He ordered him to play bad in London and now knows he has the league thinking EJ is O No. We know better. I am renewing my season seat in the endzone to see him scamper down the line.
bigpapi?
This guy surely dwells in the past, tyrod taylor has earned his starting spot get used to loving him there it wont change with the abilities taylor possesses
Niners don’t need Buffalos garbage
Manual was an awful reach from day 1
He is more of a C- qb, tyrod taylor definitely deserves starter and has earned it using his athletic ability that ej does not have
Morebreakdowns you just made my day