Kyle Orton retires at the age of 32
Orton’s hanging ‘em up after 10 seasons, which leaves the Bills with major quarterback questions heading into 2015.
After 10 seasons in the NFL, Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Orton has abruptly announced his retirement at the age of 32.
"I just have been going at it for 10 years and it's just a family decision and I've decided to get home and be a dad and call it a day," Orton said in a team release Monday morning.
Orton, who signed with the Bills a week before the 2014 season opener, made 12 starts in Buffalo, throwing for 3,018 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 picks. After replacing a struggling EJ Manuel in Week 5, Orton went 7-5 but couldn't lead the team to the playoffs.
Orton's farewell
Orton's farewell
A fourth-round pick by Chicago in 2005, Orton started 61 games for the Bears and Broncos during his first six seasons. After being replaced in Denver by Tim Tebow, Orton was waived late in 2011, eventually signing on with the Chiefs and starting the final three games of the season. In 2012 he signed with the Cowboys, throwing just 61 passes in two seasons backing up Tony Romo.
Orton’s retirement leaves Manuel as the only quarterback on the payroll heading into 2015. Given the benching of Manuel, a first-round draft pick, there seem to be major questions within the organization as to the younger signal caller’s ability to become a franchise quarterback, which leaves the team with major decisions to make this offseason.
Here’s Bills blog Buffalo Rumblings on what’s next:
Buffalo now has serious work to do at the quarterback position this offseason, knowing that they no longer have a veteran fallback option if they’re not sold on moving ahead with the failing Manuel project. Orton and Manuel were the only quarterbacks on the roster this past season, though Jeff Tuel did spend the year on the practice squad.
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