Tyrod Taylor, Bills Agree on New Contract: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

The Buffalo Bills and quarterback Tyrod Taylor reached an agreement Friday on a contract extension.

The Bills confirmed Taylor's new deal on their official Twitter account.

Tim Graham of the Buffalo News reported Taylor's extension could be as long as six years and is valued at $90 million total, but there are team option years and additional financial incentives.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Taylor will make $9.5 million in 2016 with an option for $27.5 million in 2017 before the extension begins. Tom Pelissero of USA Today added Taylor's 2017 option is guaranteed at signing while the $13 million owed for 2018 doesn't kick in until March of that year.

Speaking to Chris Brown of Bills.com, head coach Rex Ryan praised Taylor's desire and drive to continue getting better as a football player to earn this new deal:

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The thing that I knew about him was his work ethic and his passion for the game and obviously his God-given ability. That was what I knew we were getting, but you never know how it's going to be until a guy really gets out there and he's the guy under center. Nothing was given to him. He came here, and he earned the starting job, so it was all him.

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Per Matthew Fairburn of New York Upstate, Bills general manager Doug Whaley offered a simple answer for why Taylor warranted his extension: "He has the command of the team."

Taylor said the extension showed the team is "all in" on him, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.

"It's something I worked hard for in my years in the NFL, and something I dreamed of as a kid," Taylor told reporters. "I'm grateful."

The Bills have spent two decades trying to find a new franchise quarterback since Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season. Buffalo holds the longest current playoff drought in the NFL (16 years).

Several quarterbacks have shown promising flashes during the disappointing stretch. It's a group that includes both young options (Rob Johnson, J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards) as well as veteran additions (Drew Bledsoe and Ryan Fitzpatrick). None was the long-term answer.

Buffalo became so desperate to fill the lingering void that even slightly above-average play started to get rewarded. The organization handed Fitzpatrick a lucrative contract extension during the 2011 campaign. He predictably couldn't live up to those expectations and got released in early 2013.

Getting burned like that left the Bills in a tough spot following Taylor's impressive debut season after arriving from the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. The 2011 sixth-round pick stepped right into a starting role and ranked seventh in both passer rating and ESPN's Total QBR.

Per Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, Taylor had the NFL's fifth-best interception rate with just the third-highest average depth of target last season.

While it's fair to argue those numbers benefited from the support of a strong rushing attack, the instant impact with both his arm and his legs (568 yards and four touchdowns rushing) exceeded most expectations.

Yet the Bills front office didn't move rapidly to lock him into a long-term deal after the season came to a close. It took a more measured approach given his limited track record.

In June, the quarterback told Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News that while he did "understand the circumstances" of the contract situation, he didn't want to let it become his sole focus.

"I won't get too emotionally into it as far as letting money be a motivating factor," Taylor said. "I don't think that's healthy for the mind. I would say that going out there and proving to people you can do things they say you can't definitely motivates me."

In the end, the Bills decided re-signing Taylor now was their best option. Although it's too soon to declare Buffalo's search for a new face of the franchise complete, there's more reason for optimism than there's been in years.

Taylor must still continue to develop as a pocket passer, especially in terms of utilizing the middle of the field, and injuries are always a concern for a mobile quarterback. But his big-play ability makes him a valuable commodity with plenty of upside.