The Bills have a new coach in Doug Marrone and many people expect to see them have a new quarterback next season as well.
Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t have a very good year in 2012, especially when it came to throwing the ball down the field, and there was plenty of talk from Bills executives about the need for a franchise quarterback in Buffalo. Wide receiver Stevie Johnson isn’t ready to say that Fitzpatrick needs to be dumped as the starting quarterback, but he does want the team to make sure he isn’t just handed the job without fighting for it again next season.
“If we went out and got another quarterback, who knows what’ll happen? Fitz may still win, or the other guy my win,” Johnson said, via the Buffalo News. “Let it happen like thatHe is a good quarterback. We’ve all seen that. Obviously, they may bring somebody else in. I just hope it leads to competition. I think Fitz is one of those competitors. He may come out with the job again.”
Johnson might get his wish for a competition, but Fitzpatrick might not be part of it. His $7.25 million salary is too high for a guy that hasn’t proven he’s good enough to be the team’s starter, which makes release the likeliest avenue once the offseason gets underway. He could conceivably return at a lower salary, but it seems more likely that Marrone will take the team in a new direction.