Tyrod Taylor is starting the next chapter of his football career. The eight-year veteran quarterback signed a 2-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, per Ian Rapoport. Contract details are pending at this time.
Source: The #Chargers agreed to terms with QB Tyrod Taylor on a 2-year deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 13, 2019
Tyrod Taylor to Sign With Los Angeles Chargers
Taylor spent the 2018 season with the Cleveland Browns, whom he signed with in the off-season after three years with the Buffalo Bills. Hue Jackson, the Browns head coach at the time, named him the starting quarterback at the conclusion the preseason. But after an ineffective start in Week Three against the New York Jets, Jackson pulled him in favor of rookie Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield subsequently led Cleveland to victory, the team’s first since December 24, 2016. As a result, he remained the starter for the remainder of the season. Taylor saw action in just one other game when he completed a single pass for 11 yards in a 37-21 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Nine.
Taylor was a mark of consistent reliability during his tenure in Buffalo. He finished with a 22-20 record as a starter, completed 62.7 percent of his passes, and threw for 53 touchdowns compared to 20 interceptions. His 0.95 percent interception percentage in 2017 (interceptions/completions) was the seventh-lowest in NFL history for quarterbacks who completed a minimum of 250 passes. It played a part in the Bills erasing the longest existing playoff drought in North American pro sports.
Prior to his time with the Bills, Taylor spent the first four seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens. The team picked him in the sixth round (180th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. But with Joe Flacco the established starter, Taylor found it particularly difficult to garner game reps. He managed just 19 completions for 199 yards over the course of his tenure in Baltimore.
Taylor’s NFL career began after a successful stint at Virginia Tech. He made 42 starts, won three ACC titles and took home ACC Player of the Year honors during his senior year. His 7,017 career passing yards rank second in school history behind Logan Thomas. Ironically enough, Taylor later threw passes to Thomas in the NFL when the two were teammates with the Bills as Thomas converted to tight end in the pros.
