EJ Manuel Named Bills' Starting QB for Week 3 Preseason Game vs. Steelers

EJ Manuel will get the opportunity to prove he should be the starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills this season on Saturday, as head coach Rex Ryan announced he'll be the starter for the team's third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, per Matthew Fairchild of Syracuse.com.  

"I thought he earned his shot," Ryan noted, per Fairchild.

Ryan added, however, that all three quarterbacks would get time with the first-team offense Saturday, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.

"My plan was to give everybody opportunities. Nobody can say nobody was given a fair shot here," Ryan said, per Rodak.

Manuel, 25, has been mired in a three-way battle for the starting gig with Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel. The first-round pick in 2013 has yet to live up to expectations and was benched in 2014 in favor of Kyle Orton, throwing for 838 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions and a 58.0 percent completion percentage in five games last season.

Saturday's game is crucial for all three players. At some point, the Bills will need to name a starting quarterback to give that player extended reps with the first-team offense, and it would be surprising if they didn't do so after the team's game against Pittsburgh, especially since teams generally don't play starters and veterans for very long in the final preseason game.

Manuel is still the least likely of the trio to earn the starting gig, as Taylor and Cassel have generally outplayed him throughout training camp. But if Manuel shines with the first team Saturday, he certainly has the chance to win back the starting gig he lost last year.