According to ESPN's Field Yates, Kyle Shurmur will be joining the Buffalo Bills' coaching staff as a defensive assistant.
Here are five things to know about their newest member.
⬛ At age 25, Shurmur is moving on from a career as an NFL quarterback, most recently with the Washington Football Team in 2021. Shurmur also spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, but finished his playing career having never played in a regular-season game.
⬛ Shurmur and head coach Sean McDermott both played quarterback at the same high school (La Salle) outside Philadelphia and both are sons of football coaches. In Shurmur's case, his father Pat has been head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants and an offensive coordinator for other NFL teams, including the Denver Broncos this past season.
⬛ After high school, Shurmur moved on to Vanderbilt where he set program records for career touchdown passes (64) and passing yards (8,865). His 26 TD passes and 29 total TDs in 2017 also were school records.
⬛ Despite the records, Shurmur went undrafted in 2019 before being signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs, coached by Andy Reid, who formerly employed Pat Shurmur as his offensive coordinator in Philadelphia. Shurmur spent some time on the active roster in 2019 and caught on with the Bengals' practice squad near the end of the following season. He was signed to Washington's practice squad early in the 2021 season and was elevated to the active roster on Week 15 but released with a week remaining in the season.
⬛ Starting out as a defensive coach could be beneficial to Shurmur's career down the road. Some NFL head coaches, including former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, started on the other side. Daboll's first two years in the NFL were spent as a defensive assistant with the New England Patriots.
With the Bills, Shurmur likely will need to produce video cut-ups and coffee.
Lots and lots of coffee.
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