Getty Jake Fromm warms up before the AFC Championship game.
The Buffalo Bills have lost their onetime “quarantine quarterback.”
The New York Giants signed Bills practice squad quarterback Jake Fromm, a 2020 fifth-round pick who was kept away from teammates for his entire rookie season as an emergency quarterback in case a COVID-19 outbreak took out the others. He was never called on to play and remained on the team’s practice squad this year, leaving him vulnerable if another quarterback-needy team came calling.
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Fromm Poached by Giants
With Giants quarterback Daniel Jones suffering a strained neck that has him left him in danger of missing Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, the team looked to the Bills practice squad for an insurance policy. The Giants signed Fromm on Tuesday, serving as a backup to Mike Glennon and Brian Lewerke if Jones isn’t able to play.
Daniel Jones has neck strain, Giants sign Jake Fromm off Bills’ practice squad.
While Fromm isn’t likely to see action for the Giants in this week’s game, he will spend at least three weeks on New York’s active roster. If the Giants aim to eventually put Fromm on their practice squad, he must be released and is subject to waivers, giving the Bills a chance to claim him back if he remains in their long-term plans.
The Bills made significant investments into their quarterback room last offseason, signing former Chicago Bears starter Mitch Trubisky to serve as Allen’s backup. As Bills general manager Brandon Beane said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio shortly after Trubisky was signed, the team sold the quarterback on the idea of playing under the same coaching staff that helped Allen to a breakout season.
“What we sold to him and his agent is, ‘Just come here for a reboot. Work with Josh Allen and our other quarterbacks, Jake Fromm (and) Davis Webb, (offensive coordinator) Brian Daboll and (quarterbacks coach) Ken Dorsey,” Beane said. “Come here, have a reset year and just be a part of what we’re doing here.”
Because the league canceled the 2020 preseason, Fromm didn’t get a chance to play in a Bills uniform until the first preseason game this year. Fromm completed 21 of 36 passes for 172 total yards through three preseason games.
Allen Having Another Strong Season
Barring injuries to both Allen and Trubisky, Fromm was not likely to see the field for the Bills this season. Allen has followed up his MVP runner-up 2020 season with another strong campaign, throwing for 3,071 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Bills have gotten some up-and-down performances from their offense, however, with the team scoring 40 points or more twice but struggling at times including a 9-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Allen said there is still plenty of room for improvement, both for himself and the rest of the team.
“Coach always talks about playoff caliber and that’s the team we want to be,” Allen said. “It’s the pursuit of perfection. This team, we’re not just happy with winning. We want to be the best versions of ourselves every day we step into that building, every time we step on the field, we want to be the best teammate, the best player that we can possibly be, and you feel that amongst the guys.”
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