Tyrod Taylor's season ended ingloriously, and through no fault of his own. Still, some four months after he signed a lucrative contract extension, the quarterback's future in Buffalo is unclear.
He was benched in Week 17, reportedly because the organization didn't want to be on the hook for the $30.75 million left on his contract that would become guaranteed should Taylor suffer a serious injury. And on Thursday, Taylor underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia.
#Bills QB Tyrod Taylor may be having surgery today, per his Snapchat. Again, if he can't pass a physical by March 11, $$ becomes guaranteed pic.twitter.com/L3r9k9prlE
— Nick Veronica (@NickVeronica) January 5, 2017
The Bills subsequently issued this statement: "Bills QB Tyrod Taylor had a consultation visit yesterday with Dr. William Meyers and elected to have surgery this morning. The Bills were informed late yesterday of this morning's procedure."
Here's where things get interesting: As the Buffalo News' Nick Veronica alludes to above, if Taylor isn't able to pass a physical before the third day of the new league year, which is March 11 -- nine weeks away -- the Bills will be on the hook for $27.5 million in injury guarantees that are part of Taylor's contract.
Veronica writes that the belief is that Taylor will be ready to go by then.
"I want to be healthy because I want to get back and attack the offseason," Taylor said Monday. "As far as the guarantee in the contract, I want to get this surgery if that's what I need to get done -- I want to get that out of the way. It's not about the guarantee."
The Bills finished the season with a 7-9 record, missed the playoffs for the 17th consecutive year and it cost Rex Ryan his job. Hopefully Anthony Lynn, the Bills assistant who appears to be the front-runner to replace Ryan, knows what he's getting himself into.
