Buffalo Bills quarterback Kevin Kolb is going to miss an extended period of time after his latest concussion. But he's not thinking about retirement.
"I had a conversation with Kevin this morning, and he's not even near close to that process or that type of decision," coach Doug Marrone said Monday. "I do think he'll be out for some time. ... These things can be part of the thought process at the right time. I'm just saying it's not part of the process for him at this time."
Marrone made the comments in response to reports that Kolb's career could be over. The first-time head coach also announced that the Bills are preparing to start Jeff Tuel at quarterback in Week 1, although the team still is "hoping" that rookie EJ Manuel will be ready in time. The Billsalso signed Matt Leinart and acquired Thaddeus Lewis in a trade, but they are both behind Tuel.
A Bills source told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport that it's premature for the organization to view the injury as the end of the line for Kolb, but it's not a surprise this question came up. Kolb admitted he suffered two "major" concussions in his career before his 2011 late-season concussion that led to symptoms persisting for months after the injury.
The Bills will have to decide whether to keep Kolb on the roster following the final roster cut-down to 53 players Saturday. It sounds like they will remain in wait-and-see mode for a while.
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