Matt Barkley reveals why he took substantial pay cut to return to the Bills

When Matt Barkley hit free agency in mid-March, the 32-year-old quarterback knew exactly where he wanted to sign.

During a recent interview with The Athletic, Barkley admitted that he could have made a lot more money had he signed anywhere but Buffalo. But at this stage of his career, Barkley wanted to prioritize comfortability over currency.

“Josh is probably the best friend I’ve made in the league,” Barkley told the Athletic.  “… I wanted to be here to be with this group of guys, knowing there is a shot at the Super Bowl and how well we meshed. We all get each other.  And Joe (Brady) is awesome. Dorse is awesome. It’s really fun to come to work every day.”

Barkley is well-traveled. During his 11-year career, he had stints with 10 different teams, including the Tennessee Titans, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons last year alone. He spent three seasons with the Bills from 2018-20.

“All last year, it’s like, ‘Man, wish I could have been back with the Bills,’” he said. “We played the Bills with each team, so I saw everyone three times last year. It was wild.”

And had Barkley signed with any of the teams that offered him a spot on the active roster in free agency, he would have made no less than the league minimum $1.2 million salary for veteran players with seven or more years of experience.

As Buffalo’s third-string QB, Barkley spends his days on the Bills practice squad where he makes just $358,200 per season — the league maximum for a player with two or more years of experience on a practice squad.

Ultimately, Barkley’s friendship with starting QB Josh Allen and backup Case Keenum is something he couldn’t put a price on.