Being able to sign Mitchell Trubisky, who has a 29-21 record in 50 regular-season starts and brings playoff experience, for one year at $2.5 million was a coup for the Buffalo Bills heading into this 2021 season.
He will be the backup to Josh Allen, the NFL MVP runner-up in 2020.
Behind them are where the questions remain. The Bills did not draft a quarterback or sign an undrafted free agent, which doesn't necessarily mean they won't have their eyes on the waiver wire as the season draws closer.
But it does mean they at least like where Jake Fromm and Davis Webb are at as developmental players.
Neither has played a regular-season down in the NFL. And if all goes right for the Bills, neither of them will play for them in 2021, either.
Still, the battle for the third quarterback spot should be fascinating and may turn out to be crucial if both Allen and Trubisky go down.
Davis and Fromm have each experienced their share of adversity.
Webb was a third-round pick of the New York Giants in 2017 but couldn't get on the field as a rookie. Then it was on to the Jets' practice squad for most of 2018 and the Bills' practice squad in 2019 and 2020.
The Bills drafted Fromm in the fifth round last year and installed him as their emergency "COVID-19" quarterback, which meant he had to keep his distance from the rest of the team during practice and all other activities.
"I thought he handled it greatly," general manager Brandon Beane raved. "In his exit meeting we just praised him for staying true. He would literally be back there hearing the call in his helmet, and while Josh or [Matt] Barkley are going back [in the pocket], he’s going back just like he’s making the throw from 20 yards back."
Fromm, a devout Christian who relied on his faith, handled it with aplomb. His teammates liked him immediately and respected him for what he did.
Now, even though the coronavirus pandemic is still a threat, it is unlikely the Bills will see a need for a quarantine quarterback again, meaning Fromm will get a better chance to show what he can do and actually hang out with the team that drafted him more than a year ago.
Allen loves having him around and said after the season that Fromm "has been awesome in the quarterback room."
Fromm opened up about the challenges of his rookie season during Buffalo's playoff run in January.
"It has been a long season,” Fromm told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “You’re kind of distanced from everybody else. And you’re away from home. And when we’re out of the building we’re supposed to go home and sit inside and wait until the next day to come back to football. It’s tough building relationships and not being with people, that’s kind of what I miss. For me, I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer and the [Bible] – the one thing keeping me sane is my faith."
Fromm's reward could be coming soon.
More must-reads: