Getty Matt Barkley looks to make a pass in a Buffalo Bills game.
Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Matt Barkley is onto his next destination in the NFL.
After being released by the Bills with an injury settlement in the preseason, Barkley completed rehab and has now signed to the New York Giants‘ practice squad. The move reunites Barkley with a number of his former Bills teammates and coach Brian Daboll, while giving the injury-struck Giants some veteran depth.
Matt Barkley Steps Into Important Role
The Giants have seen a number of injuries at quarterback this season, losing starter Daniel Jones to a neck injury and backup Tyrod Taylor to a rib injury, leaving rookie practice squad quarterback Tommy DeVito to finish out the team’s October 29 game against the New York Jets.
The team announced that Jones is expected to return to practice this week and in line to start Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Because the team had elevated DeVito three times, the team had to sign him to the active roster as he was ineligible to return to the practice squad.
We’ve signed QB Matt Barkley to the practice squad, Tommy DeVito to active roster among today’s moves
With Taylor, another former Bills starter, facing an uncertain injury future, Barkley could serve as the third-string quarterback this week.
The Giants had already looked at Barkley earlier this season. The NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Giants held a workout with the veteran quarterback on October 16, after Jones went down with a neck injury.
“With Daniel Jones continuing to deal with a neck injury, the #Giants worked out QBs Matt Barkley and Ian Book, along with WR Damiere Byrd, per the wire,” Pelissero shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Barkley has experience playing under Daboll during his time as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator. The Bills first signed Barkley midway through the 2018 season after rookie Josh Allen went down with an elbow injury, and Barkley won his only start with the team, a victory over the New York Jets.
Barkley went on to serve as a mentor to Allen, spending the next two seasons with the Bills before leaving in 2021. He returned last season to serve as a practice squad quarterback, but has not appeared in a game in close to three years.
Matt Barkley Faced Retirement Rumors
Barkley appeared to face an uncertain future after being released by the Bills in August. His wife, Britt Barkley, shared a post that talked about his future plans but also sparked some speculation that the veteran quarterback could be considering retirement.
USA Today’s Nick Wojton noted that Barkley’s wife was just saying goodbye to Buffalo, not capping off his time in the NFL.
“[Britt Barkley’s] first message made some wonder if he’s set to retire from football, but she insisted that her message noting the ‘beautiful time we had here’ was just a little shout out to Buffalo,” Wojton wrote.
“The second then explains Barkley is just heading out of town to rehab and the hope is that there will be more football in his future.”