Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has announced that Tyrod Taylor will be on the bench this Sunday when the Bills take on the Chargers in Los Angeles. Instead, Buffalo will be starting rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Peterman, 23, replaced Tyrod Taylor in the final minutes of last Sunday's blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints. After taking over for Taylor, Peterman led the Bills on a six-play, 75-yard drive which ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Nick O'Leary.
While the Bills rank 28th in the league in yards per game (292), they're still 5-4 on the season which puts them in the playoff hunt. Head coach Sean McDermott believes Peterman gives the team the best chance of reaching that goal.
"We are in the playoff hunt, and we are always focused on becoming the best team possible," McDermott said, per ESPN. "We were made for better than 5-4."
"I've been impressed with the maturity from Nathan Peterman," McDermott said Wednesday. "I'm comfortable making a calculated risk to try and get us where we need to go."
"I thought he did some good things," McDermott said of Peterman after Sunday's game. "Moved the offense there. Obviously, got us into the end zone, so that was a positive."
In nine games this season, Tyrod Taylor has thrown for 1,684 yards, including 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions. The dual-threat QB has also rushed for 237 yards and two TDs. However, he had his career-worst outing last weekend, throwing for just 56 yards and 33.6 passer rating in Kelvin Benjamin's Bills debut.
According to Spotrac, if the Bills, who hold two first round picks in the 2018 Draft, opt to release Tyrod Taylor this offseason it will clear $9.44M in cap space for upcoming season. Peterman and the Bills will face the Chargers in LA this Sunday at 4:05 ET.
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