Getty Jake Fromm warms up before the AFC Championship game.
Jake Fromm’s time with the Buffalo Bills could be over before ever taking a snap or even standing on the sidelines during a regular season game since being drafted last year.
The 2020 fifth-round draft pick occupied an unusual role on the team last season, staying away from teammates as a quarantine quarterback in case a COVID-19 outbreak were to wipe out one or more quarterbacks. With the league canceling preseason last year, Fromm has never had the chance to take a snap — and now could be gone before ever getting the chance.
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Fromm on the Roster Bubble
Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire put together a preliminary projection of the team’s final 53-man roster, predicting that Fromm will likely find himself on the outside. He noted that Fromm was far down the list on the team’s first depth chart, coming in at No. 4 behind Josh Allen, Mitch Trubisky, and Davis Webb. Given the team’s assessment, Wojton wrote that “it seems unlikely that they’d have him on their final roster at this time. Davis Webb might even be put on the practice squad ahead of him as the team’s third-string QB.”
The Bills signed Trubisky this offseason, making the former Chicago Bears starter the presumed backup to Allen. Trubisky has looked sharp in training camp, earning some buzz for a long completion to wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins that insiders said was one of the sharpest of training camp.
Trubisky comes into the competition with a strong resume, throwing for 2,055 yards last season with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Fromm has not thrown a pass in a meaningful game since his junior season at Georgia, throwing for 2,860 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions in the 2019 season.
Fromm Looks to Impress
But Fromm is hoping to make the most of what will be his first real chance to prove himself in a game situation. The team announced that Allen will not be playing in Friday’s preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, giving Fromm plenty of playing time.
The former Georgia quarterback said this week that he is happy to have last year’s strange circumstances behind him and looking forward to the chance to prove himself.
“Definitely just an interesting five, six months for me,” Fromm said during a press conference. “Very tough, very lonely at times.”
“It was very different. We were in the stadium last Saturday [for practice in front of fans] and it just felt like real football. It felt like you can go out, have fun, play loose, and be free. It’s been great,” Fromm added.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott was also excited to see what Fromm looks like in game action.
“Yeah, it’s huge. You try to simulate it out here as best as you can but there’s still something to be said for playing a game in front of a crowd and in real game situations,” McDermott said during a team press conference. “It has been a while for Jake.”
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