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The Buffalo Bills appear to be set at the quarterback position, perhaps for the first time in a very long time. While it’s not a sure thing that Josh Allen will be the savior the franchise has sought since Jim Kelly retired in 1997, he is the unquestioned starter at the moment.
Even though Allen should start every game for which he’s healthy, the team obviously needs to have players ready to go just in case he misses time. While the backup situation may seem settled, there is always an outside chance that a new face emerges in the competition.
In our latest installment of “ 90 players in 90 days,” we profile one of Buffalo’s quarterbacks—a young player looking to impress in his first NFL training camp.
Name: Tyree Jackson
Number: 6
Position: QB
Height/Weight: 6’7” 249 lbs.
Age: 21 (22 on 11/7/19)
Experience/Draft: R; undrafted after 2019 NFL Draft
College: Buffalo
Acquired: Signed with Bills as UDFA on 4/27/19
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Jackson signed a three-year contract after he went undrafted. The total value of the contract is $1,770,000, and the Bills gave him a $75,000 signing bonus, indicating that they really wanted to make sure he signed with them. If Jackson is cut, the signing bonus is the only guarantee, so his dead cap hit will be $75,000. His cap hit for the 2019 season is $500,000.
2018 Recap: Jackson was dominant at UB this year, accounting for 35 total touchdowns. He completed 55.3% of his passes as a junior, totaling 3,131 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also ran 55 times for 161 yards and seven touchdowns. He was the MAC offensive player of the year, and he led his team to a divisional title and an appearance in the Dollar General Bowl, a game the Bulls lost 42-32 to Troy. In that game, Jackson completed 20-of-35 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was invited to play in the Senior Bowl and was named MVP of the game, completing 13-of-21 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.
Positional outlook: Jackson enters the year as a clear third quarterback behind starter Josh Allen and backup Matt Barkley. They are the only three quarterbacks on the roster.
2019 Offseason: Jackson has participated in all offseason activities to date.
2019 Season outlook: It’s unlikely that Jackson finds himself on the 53-man roster when the team breaks for camp, as they will probably opt for depth at other positions while trying to stash Jackson on the practice squad. However, if the team fears that he will be poached from the practice squad at some point, they may opt to keep him around and leave him inactive on game days barring an injury to Allen or Barkley. Head coach Sean McDermott has kept three quarterbacks in each of the team’s first two seasons, although one of those quarterbacks was Joe Webb (2017) and the team broke camp with only Nathan Peterman and Josh Allen in 2018 before signing Derek Anderson in October. Jackson’s performance in preseason games may dictate what the team does with the young passer, but it’s a safe bet that they’d prefer to keep him on the practice squad rather than use a roster spot for him.