Tyrod Taylor cleared to start Week 1 for Bills

Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor had a concussion scare for a couple of weeks, but he’s been cleared now and will get the start in the Bills’ Week 1 opener against the New York Jets, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Head coach Sean McDermott raised some uncertainty about Taylor’s status, saying earlier in the week that it was “up in the air” as to whether he’d play Sunday. Fifth-round rookie Nathan Peterman would’ve gotten the start if Taylor wasn’t cleared to play.

The team announced Tuesday that T.J. Yates will go an injured reserve, leaving recently acquired Joe Webb as the only other option after Taylor and Peterman. Getting Taylor back in time for the opener is a big relief for the Bills.

How serious was Taylor’s injury? Taylor suffered a concussion on the Bills’ first drive of the third preseason game on Aug. 26. He didn’t return to the game and spent over a week in concussion protocol. Taylor returned to practice Monday, doing only individual drills while still in the protocol.

It’s been a rocky year for Taylor, who’s had to prove himself all over again. The Bills restructured his contract in the offseason, following an uneven 2016 when he threw for just 17 touchdowns but committed only six interceptions and completed 61.7 percent of his passes. Buffalo went on to draft Peterman in the fifth round and has been talking him up, with McDermott saying Peterman is “ready to start” if Taylor couldn’t go.

What are the long-term ramifications of this injury? The Bills traded away Sammy Watkins and acquired Jordan Matthews, who immediately got injured and missed the rest of preseason. After a poor performance by Taylor in the second game — 8-of-18 passing, 53 yards, two interceptions — McDermott said that he was still the starter but the team will “evaluate everything,” which is hardly a strong vote of confidence. Then he got concussed and missed a couple of weeks of practice, bringing us to where we are now.

So while Taylor is the Week 1 starter, it certainly feels like his leash is getting shorter with a coaching staff that didn’t draft him. With the Bills in full rebuilding mode and the roster mostly gutted of expensive veterans, they probably don’t see Taylor in their long-term plans — his new contract guarantees only $1 million in 2018, per Over the Cap. It would not be totally surprising if Peterman makes starts in 2017, even when Taylor doesn’t have an injury scare.