Bills Considering Signing New QB After AJ McCarron Injury

Timothy Rapp @@TRappaRTFeatured ColumnistAugust 20, 2018

Buffalo Bills quarterback AJ McCarron (10) runs on the field in the first quarter of the team's NFL football preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, in Cleveland. Buffalo won 19-17. (AP Photo/David Richard)

David Richard/Associated Press

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Monday that he and general manager Brandon Beane are considering their options following the shoulder injury to AJ McCarron, which could include signing another quarterback.

"Like always, [Beane] is always looking at our situation and what we may need to do for not only the long term, but the short term in this case," he said, per Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. "We'll see."

In the interim, McDermott said the Bills will continue with their quarterback rotation between rookie Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman (h/t Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com):

"(Josh) will be working with the ones and Nate will be working with the twos today. We're staying with the rotation. Nate had the reps with the ones yesterday. Josh will have them today. After today we'll start to move into a blend into a normal week as we prepare for the next game. Part of that is so our players can get acclimated to the routine of a normal regular season week."

He added that it hasn't been decided if Allen or Peterman will see all of the work with the first-team offense during Buffalo's third preseason game.

As for McCarron, he's getting a second opinion on his shoulder after suffering a hairline fracture in his collarbone, per Adam Maya of NFL.com. According to Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, McCarron is expected to be out of action for several weeks with the injury.

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet
Meanwhile, #Bills QB AJ McCarron is going to have more tests on his collarbone before setting a timetable for his return. https://t.co/VPvB9ohR0U

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

That could leave the Bills with an interesting decision if McCarron isn't ready for the start of the NFL season. Do they go with the unproven Allen, who was No. 7 overall but widely expected to be a project early in his career?

Or do they go with Peterman? He struggled mightily in his four appearances last season, throwing for 252 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions while completing just 49 percent of his passes.

The third option would be to bring aboard a veteran option to serve as a stopgap until McCarron returns. Regardless, the Bills have some big decisions to make in the coming weeks.