Derek Anderson is putting the football away.
The veteran quarterback has informed the Buffalo Bills he is going to retire, the team announced Thursday.
Anderson had re-signed with the Bills after last season but informed general manager Brandon Beane before the draft that he wasn't sure about playing in 2019. Beane said Anderson confirmed Thursday he is done.
Anderson served as a mentor to Josh Allen in 2018 and an emergency starter when Allen went down in the middle of the season. The longtime backup looked to be retiring a year ago before signing with the Bills in October.
"We appreciate what he did. He came into a tough spot. He was thrown into action quicker than we anticipated. He did a good job," Beane said in a statement. "Obviously what he brought to Josh, I think Josh will be able to take those things with him throughout his career.
"I regretted that it took me that long to get it done. But when we did, I was thankful for Derek's time here. He was really a great resource for Josh and Matt Barkley and [offensive coordinator Brian] Daboll."
Anderson went 20-29 over a 14-year career, which began with the Ravens, then five seasons with the Browns, one with the Cardinals, seven with the Panthers and a last hurrah in Buffalo. He passed for 10,878 yards and 60 touchdowns with 64 interceptions. His departure leaves the Bills with three quarterbacks on the roster: Allen, veteran backup Matt Barkley and undrafted free-agent Tyree Jackson.
"Before the draft, we did a little more work on quarterbacks and watched some guys once we got this word regarding Derek," Beane said. "We made sure we had them stacked as we thought they should be. Once it got late in the draft, you never want to root for someone not to be drafted, but we were thrilled with the opportunity to bring Tyree in here and let him compete. "Especially since he was going to have the chance to start as the No. 3 instead of the No. 4 if DA did retire. Which he did.
"Right now we're going to roll with these three. We'll see how Tyree adjusts and how he does and give him a chance and compete. We're excited we got Tyree and we're excited to see him this weekend."
