Doug Marrone was not fired by the Buffalo Bills. Instead Marrone opted out of his contract after two seasons at the helm.
Marrone’s departure was made possible by language inserted into his contract after the Bills were sold to Terry Pegula. With his self chosen departure Marrone also pockets his $4 million salary for the 2015 season without it counting as an offset against any future salary.
“Doug Marrone informed me late today that he has decided to exercise the option clause in his contract and relinquish his responsibilities as our head coach,” Pegula said in a statement. “We are disappointed that Coach Marrone will no longer be an important part of our organization. We thank him for all of his hard work and leadership during his tenure and wish him and his family the best with the next chapter in their lives.
“We will now begin the important process of conducting a thorough search for a new head coach as we continue to strive to reach our goal of returning to the playoffs and bringing a championship to Buffalo for our fans.”
The Bills finished the season 9-7 missing the playoffs again. The team has not been to the postseason since 1999.
Almost as soon as reports circulated that Marrone had left the Bills some began pointing to the New York Jets as a potential landing spot.
The Bills now enter the offseason looking for a head coach and a franchise quarterback.
