In a clear sign that his career has fallen on hard times, former Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel didn’t receive a penny of guaranteed cash in the free-agent deal he signed with the Oakland Raiders recently.
EJ Manuel's deal with the Raiders: one year, $800k, no guaranteed money
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 22, 2017
That’s a far cry for a quarterback that was selected in the middle of the first round by Buffalo just five years ago. During his career in Western New York, Manuel put up 19 touchdowns compared to 15 interceptions en route to leading his team to a 6-11 record in 17 starts.
Now that we know the details of Manuel’s contract, it’s definitely not a foregone conclusion that he will be Derek Carr’s primary backup this season. Instead, that role could go to 2016 fourth-round pick Connor Cook. If that indeed does happen, Manuel would not be a lock to make the Raiders’ roster.