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NFL

Tyrod Taylor chose Bills over Broncos, and not because of money

By FoxSports
Published | Updated
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Aug 29, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) celebrates his second half touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Bills beat the Steelers 43 to 19. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrod Taylor could have been the Broncos' backup quarterback, and made more money at the same time. Timothy T. Ludwig USA TODAY Sports

During the offseason, Tyrod Taylor was a relatively overlooked player at the quarterback position. After all, great quarterbacks don't typically hit the free agent market, but Taylor has turned into quite the player for the Buffalo Bills.

In the seven games he's started, the Bills are 5-2 and currently hold a playoff berth with an overall record of 5-4. He has arguably been the Bills' most valuable player on offense and could lead Buffalo to the postseason for the first time since 1999.

But what if he never landed in Buffalo and became Peyton Manning's backup in Denver, instead?

According to Mike Rodak of ESPN, it could have happened. The Broncos reportedly offered Taylor more money than the Bills did, but Taylor chose a chance to start over a more lucrative contract. Clearly, it's worked out for both the Bills and Taylor, but it's safe to say the Broncos would be grateful to have him as their backup quarterback right now.

Manning is injured and hasn't looked like himself all season, and although it's not certain that Taylor would have beat out Brock Osweiler for the second-string quarterback job, he would have had a good chance to do so.

This news comes at an interesting time, given the Broncos' quarterback situation. Osweiler replaced the benched Manning on Sunday and will start this week against the Bears. If Taylor can lead the Bills to a 5-4 record, there's no telling what could have been with Denver's elite defense and playmakers on the outside.