Buffalo Bills

Tyrod Taylor: I want to be the Bills' long-term QB

Published Jan. 28, 2016 2:19 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

The NFL Draft is three months away, and like most other teams, it's unclear which direction the Buffalo Bills will go. Prior to this week, it seemed as though quarterback wouldn't be a priority at the top of the draft.

General manager Doug Whaley debunked that notion when he said the Bills would "absolutely" consider drafting one early. That likely put Tyrod Taylor on high alert, coming as somewhat of a surprise after his outstanding Pro Bowl season.

Taylor is entering the final year of his contract in 2016, so he hasn't been locked up as the Bills' franchise quarterback just yet. That's his goal, though. And he made that very clear on Wednesday night.

Via BuffaloBills.com:

“Of course I want to be the long-term guy,” Taylor said. “I love playing for the organization, I love playing for the coaches, I love being around the guys. Like I said, I want to be the long-term guy for them. Ultimately that’s up to them. I know I’m under contract for another year, but right now I’m out here just taking it all in.”

Taylor was a pleasant surprise for the Bills this season after the team didn't even know who their quarterback would be in July. He led the team to an 8-8 record despite missing two games -- both of which the Bills lost.

He certainly played like a franchise quarterback in 2015, as evidenced by his Pro Bowl selection. That won't be enough to get him locked up long-term just yet, but the Bills have already said they'd consider an extension before his contract expires.

“Since we’ve got him under contract, he’s on the list, but a little way down because we want to get the guys who are unrestricted done first,” Whaley said. “But it’s one of those things where I will say that if we come up with a deal that works for both parties we wouldn’t be opposed to doing it.”