What would Tyrod Taylor need to do for the Buffalo Bills to keep him in 2018?

While playoff conversations have mostly replaced our favorite topic of 2017, the issue of Tyrod Taylor still looms large. Will he be the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills next season?

Fans have generally not been shy about sharing their thoughts on Taylor, with seemingly few on the fence regarding the man under center. The coaching staff has given him praise, but a mid-season benching for a fifth-round rookie is not exactly a vote of confidence.

The Bills have Taylor signed through this coming season if they wish. The big question becomes “do they wish?” Let’s examine Taylor a bit and see what we can see.

• Taylor will cost the Bills roughly $18 million to keep next year. If cut, he can save the team close to $10 million of that, which is no small amount. Currently, he is the 16th- highest paid quarterback in the league.
• If we look at volume stats, Taylor has 2,799 yards and 14 touchdowns passing. This puts him as the 25th-best QB for both of these measures.
• If you’re into efficiency metrics, he lands at 6.7 yards per attempt and has a 3.3% TD rate. This puts him ranked 21st and 24th in those categories. He is tied for 15th place in completion percentage with 62.6.
• Digging a bit deeper, Taylor has a 1% interception rate with only 4 on the year. This has him tied with Alex Smith for best in the league.
• Known as a dual threat, Taylor is third in the league among quarterbacks, with 427 rushing yards. He’s 4th in touchdowns, totaling 4 this season.
• If you’re into single-stat measurements; Taylor is 13th in QBR with 56.4, 19th in passer rating at 89.2 (minimum 50 attempts), 25th in NY/A with 5.46, and 20th in ANY/A with 5.67. In all ratings, he’s in proximity to some decent company such as Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers. Correction: Taylor’s passer rating puts him in 16th place.

As they say, “And them’s the facts.” So then: