The Buffalo Bills released quarterback Matt Barkley on Friday with an injury settlement, per reports from ESPN's Field Yates.
As the Bills made final roster cuts, Barkley was placed on injury reserve due to an elbow injury he suffered in the preseason. Buffalo elected to go with Josh Allen and Kyle Allen as the only two quarterbacks on the active roster. Barkley and Kyle Allen were in a backup quarterback competition in the preseason, but it's a battle that the latter won by default due to Barkley's injury.
Barkley, 32, can now sign with any team of his choosing. However, it's entirely possible that the Bills could look to bring him back at a later date for depth due to his familiarity with the offense.
Originally a fourth-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 NFL Draft, Barkley has found a home in Buffalo. Following two seasons with the Eagles and one with the Chicago Bears, Barkley with the Bills in 2018. He's been released and signed multiple times since then while bouncing around different practice squads, but the Bills have kept calling.
After playing in Buffalo from 2018-20, he signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2021 before being released and signing with the Bills prior to last season. He spent most of the year on the Buffalo practice squad.
In his Bills career, Barkley has played in eight games (one start) while going 53 of 97 passing for 788 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. His only start as a Bills resulted in a 41-10 win over the New York Jets in Week 10 of 2018.
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