EJ Manuel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
EJ Manuel

Manuel in 2024
No. 3
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1990-03-19) March 19, 1990 (age 35) Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:	Bayside (Virginia Beach)
College:	Florida State (2008–2012)
NFL Draft:	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16
Career history
Buffalo Bills (2013–2016) Oakland Raiders (2017) Kansas City Chiefs (2019)*
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-ACC (2012)
Career NFL statistics
Pass completions: 343 Pass attempts: 590 TD–INT: 20–16 Passing yards: 3,767 Passer rating: 77.1 Rushing touchdowns: 4
Player stats at PFR

Erik Rodriguez "EJ" Manuel Jr. (born March 19, 1990) is an American former professional football player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He led his college team to an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship and an Orange Bowl win in his final year. The Buffalo Bills selected him in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft.

After being drafted by the Bills, Manuel faced several injuries. His performance on the field also had some challenges. He started 10 games in his first year, throwing for 1,972 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, over the next three seasons, he only started seven more games and threw eight touchdowns. He was often behind other quarterbacks like Kyle Orton and Tyrod Taylor on the team's roster. After leaving the Bills, he played one year with the Oakland Raiders. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2019 but retired before the season began.

Early Life and High School Football

Manuel with his father, Erik, in 2013

EJ Manuel was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on March 19, 1990. He went to Bayside High School in Virginia Beach. There, he played for the Bayside Marlins high school football team.

During his time with the Marlins, Manuel gained almost 7,400 yards and scored 68 touchdowns. He was considered a top high school quarterback. Many experts saw him as a very promising player for college football.

College Football Career

Manuel playing for Florida State in 2009

Manuel attended Florida State University. He played for the Florida State Seminoles football team from 2008 to 2012. He played under coaches Bobby Bowden and Jimbo Fisher. While at Florida State, Manuel became only the second college quarterback to win four bowl games in a row. The first was Pat White from West Virginia.

2009 College Season

Manuel stepped in when the starting quarterback, Christian Ponder, was injured. The Seminoles had a 4–5 record and were at risk of having a losing season. This had not happened since coach Bobby Bowden took over.

Manuel's first start was against Wake Forest. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown. He led the Seminoles to a 41–28 win. This was a big victory because Wake Forest had beaten Florida State three times in a row. Manuel had some struggles in his next games against Maryland and the Florida Gators.

Florida State entered the Gator Bowl with a 6–6 record. Manuel led the team to a 33–21 victory over the West Virginia Mountaineers. He also won the Gator Bowl MVP award for his great performance.

2010 College Season

In the 2010 season, Manuel started two games. He filled in for Christian Ponder, who was dealing with a forearm injury. In his first start against Clemson, he ran for 71 yards. He also helped the Seminoles win the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl against South Carolina. This happened after Ponder got injured during the game.

2011 College Season

Manuel played in almost every game during the 2011 season. He missed only one game after hurting his shoulder. He finished the season with 2,666 passing yards. He completed 65% of his passes. He also threw 18 touchdowns and ran for four more. Manuel helped the Seminoles make a comeback win against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Champs Sports Bowl. He threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

2012 College Season

In his senior year, 2012, Manuel led the Seminoles to many important wins. They won the ACC Championship. They also won the Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois. Florida State finished the season with an impressive 12–2 record.

Manuel in 2013

Manuel's College Legacy

Manuel helped the Seminoles achieve a 12-win season. This was only the third time in the program's history this had happened. It was the first time since their very successful period in the 1990s. In his senior year, he threw for 3,392 yards. This was the second-highest amount of passing yards in team history. He was only behind Chris Weinke's 4,167 yards from his Heisman Trophy-winning season.

Manuel had a great record as a starting quarterback, winning 25 games and losing only 6. He won the first BCS bowl game for Florida State since 2000. He also won five out of six games against rivals Miami and Florida. He led the offense to its best season ever, gaining 6,591 total yards. This was more than the 1999 National Championship team.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Before the NFL Draft

Before the 2013 NFL Draft, many experts thought EJ Manuel would be one of the top quarterbacks chosen. He was praised for his physical abilities, strong work ethic, and leadership. However, some also noted that his play in college was sometimes inconsistent.

Buffalo Bills Years

2013 NFL Season

The Buffalo Bills selected Manuel in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was the 16th player chosen overall. He was the only quarterback picked in the first round that year. The Bills really needed a quarterback, so they even traded down in the draft to get more picks.

Manuel passing against the Patriots in 2013

On June 14, 2013, Manuel signed a four-year contract with the Buffalo Bills. Before the season started, Manuel had a knee operation. Despite this, head coach Doug Marrone announced that Manuel would be the starting quarterback for the first game of the season.

In his first NFL game, Manuel threw his first career touchdown pass. It was an 18-yard completion to fellow rookie Robert Woods. On September 15, Manuel led his first fourth-quarter comeback. He guided his team on an 80-yard drive to score a touchdown. This brought the Bills back from a six-point deficit with seconds left. The Bills won that game against the Carolina Panthers 24–23. Manuel was even voted the "Pepsi Next NFL Rookie of the Week" for his great play.

On October 3, Manuel sprained his right knee ligament during a game. This injury caused him to miss five weeks of his rookie season. Manuel had a mixed first year, but coach Marrone still said he would be the starting quarterback for the 2014 season. In 10 games, Manuel threw for 1,972 yards, with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also ran for 186 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns.

2014 NFL Season

Manuel in 2014

On September 28, 2014, during a game against the Houston Texans, one of Manuel's passes was intercepted. The defensive end J. J. Watt caught it and ran 80 yards for a touchdown. The next day, Manuel was replaced as the starting quarterback by veteran Kyle Orton. Manuel had started the first four games of the 2014 season, leading the Bills to a 2–2 record.

Manuel finished the 2014 season with 838 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. His passer rating was 80.3, which was his highest career rating. Orton then led the Bills to a 9–7 record for the season. This was the first time the Bills had a winning record since 2004.

2015 NFL Season

After the 2014 season, Kyle Orton retired, and coach Marrone left the team. The Bills then hired Rex Ryan as their new head coach. Manuel competed with new players Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel for the starting quarterback spot. During training camp, Manuel struggled to win the job. He was listed as the third-string quarterback. On August 31, 2015, coach Rex Ryan announced that Tyrod Taylor would be the starting quarterback.

Manuel made his first start in over a year in Week 6. He played against the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals. He started because Tyrod Taylor was injured. On the Bills' first drive, Manuel led them 80 yards down the field for a touchdown. He finished the game with 263 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown. The Bills lost the game 34–21.

On October 25, Manuel played against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. He threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns. However, he also had three costly turnovers. Two of these turnovers were returned for touchdowns by the Jaguars. Manuel led the Bills back from being 24 points behind to take the lead in the fourth quarter. But Jacksonville scored again to win 34–31. With this loss, Manuel became the first quarterback in NFL history to lose a game in three different countries: the United States, Canada, and England.

2016 NFL Season

Manuel handing the ball off in 2016

On May 2, 2016, the Bills decided not to keep Manuel for the 2017 season. He played only a few times during the first part of the 2016 season. He was often used in special trick plays. Since the Bills were not going to make the playoffs, Manuel started the final game of the regular season. This was because Tyrod Taylor was not playing. Manuel completed 9 of 20 passes for 86 yards before being replaced by rookie quarterback Cardale Jones in the fourth quarter.

Oakland Raiders Years

On March 20, 2017, Manuel signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders. In Week 4, during a game against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders' starting quarterback Derek Carr got a back injury. Manuel came in to play. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 106 yards. The Raiders lost the game 16–10.

Because of Carr's injury, Manuel started the Week 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He completed 13 of 26 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. The Raiders lost that game 30–17. On November 19, the Raiders lost to the New England Patriots in Mexico City. With this loss, Manuel became the first quarterback in NFL history to be on a team that lost a game in four different countries: the United States, Canada, England, and Mexico.

Manuel re-signed with the Raiders on March 22, 2018. However, he was released by the team on September 1, 2018.

Kansas City Chiefs and Retirement

On February 22, 2019, Manuel signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, on May 13, 2019, Manuel announced that he was retiring from playing professional football. Soon after, he shared that he would be joining the ACC Network as a college football analyst. This means he would talk about college football games on TV.

NFL Career Statistics

Bills Team Records

• Best rookie passer rating, minimum 7 appearances: 77.7