Getty Jake Fromm throws a pass before a New York Giants game.
Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jake Fromm could soon be looking for a new football home, one insider speculates.
The former Georgia quarterback started his career as a third-stringer and practice squad player in Buffalo in 2020 before being picked up by the New York Giants. He appeared in three games in the 2021 season, losing each of his two starts, but may be on shaky ground as he goes into the offseason with the Washington Commanders.
As Ivan Lambert of USA Today’s Commanders Wire noted, Fromm appears to be in a battle to hold onto the No. 3 spot on Washington’s depth chart.
“The Commanders have a perplexing situation for the third quarterback on their roster,” Lambert wrote. “Based upon what he has shown thus far in his previous NFL experience, Jake Fromm leaves doubt whether he will be a good asset to have at the No. 3 quarterback spot.”
Jake Fromm Faces Roster Crunch
The Commanders went into the offseason with fifth-round pick Sam Howell as their de facto No. 1 after Taylor Heinicke left for the Atlanta Falcons. They also moved to bring in a veteran to serve as a steady backup and potential competition, signing Jacoby Brissett in March.
General manager Martin Mayhew told NFL.com at the NFL Combine that the team would give Howell the chance to win the job.
“So Sam will have every opportunity to win that starting job,” Mayhew said. “(I) was very impressed with the way he played and practiced last year. Obviously, very small sample, he only played in one game, but we got to see him the whole offseason, see him all through training camp, see him every week in practice. He has the skills that it takes to be a starter in this league, in my opinion.”
That leaves Fromm in an uncertain situation, Lambert noted. The Commanders chose against taking a quarterback in the NFL Draft to compete for the No. 3 spot, but did sign former Forday quarterback Tim DeMorat as an undrafted free agent.
Giants safety Bobby McCain intercepting Jake Fromm twice.
The last play of the Joe Judge era was a Bobby McCain interception
Fromm came into the Bills in a unique and unprecedented role. After being drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, he served as the team’s “quarantine quarterback” — practicing away from the rest of his teammates as an insurance policy in case a COVID outbreak took out Josh Allen or Matt Barkley.
Return to Buffalo in Jake Fromm’s Future?
Fromm could be a candidate for the practice squad in Washington, but if he were to be released then a return to Buffalo could also be a possibility. Bills general manager Brandon Beane has shown a penchant for bringing back the team’s former players, and last season signed wide receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley late in the season.
The Bills have seen changes to their quarterback depth this offseason, with last year’s No. 2, Case Keenum, leaving in free agency to join the Houston Texans. He was replaced by veteran Kyle Allen, a close friend of Bills starter Josh Allen. The veteran Barkley earned a reserve/futures contract at the conclusion of the season and could return to the practice squad again next season.
The Bills have also turned to the XFL for some help filling out the training camp roster, giving tryouts to Quinten Dormady and Jalan McClendon.