Bills

Bills Sign QB Kyle Orton To A Two-Year, $11M Deal

September 2, 2014

Update:

The Buffalo Bills officially announced the signing of veteran QB Kyle Orton on Saturday.

According to Ian Rapoport, Orton receives a two-year deal worth $11 million that will pay him $5.5 million for the 2014 season.

ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports that $3 million of Orton’s contract is fully guaranteed and will be paid as a signing bonus.
Orton’s base salary for the 2014 season is $2.5 million and he receives another $5.4 million next year.
However, Aaron Wilson reports that the second-year of the contract is voidable.

That’s an impressive salary for a guy who was just signed to a contract a week before the start of the season. Orton really played his cards well given that he managed to convince the Cowboys he was set to return, which in turn allowed him to keep his signing bonus.

We’ll have to see what this means for 2013 first-round pick E.J. Manuel moving forward.

Orton, 31, stepped in for Tony Romo after he suffered a season-ending back injury last season and threw for 358 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to the Eagles.

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Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reports that the Bills haven’t officially signed QB Kyle Orton to a contract yet, but the two sides are “very close.”

According to Graham, Orton’s deal is one-year contract that includes an option, but the deal is viewed a “two-year relationship.”

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James Walker of ESPN reports that the Bills have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran QB Kyle Orton.

Adam Caplan reported earlier in the day that a name to keep an eye on in regards to the Bills search for a backup quarterback is Orton, so this isn’t a complete surprise.

Buffalo parted ways with Jordan Palmer Friday, despite signing him to a contract just a few days ago. The Bills also cut Thad Lewis and multiple reports confirmed that they were actually shopping for an upgrade to their current options.

There was some question regarding whether or not Orton wanted to play this season, but it appears as though that standoff with the Cowboys was related to a different issue.