E.J. Manuel appears to be on shaky ground in Buffalo, an impression that is only reinforced by the news that he was not among the players named as a team captain by head coach Doug Marrone.
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Isn’t your starting quarterback a team captain by default? Isn’t it a bit of a diss then if you don’t name your quarterback a team captain?
E.J. Manuel is taking this apparent snub in stride, telling the media he isn’t concerned about having an empty space on his uniform where a “C” should be:
That is pretty much all Manuel can say in this situation. He’s certainly not going to lash out as his coach. He might be annoyed about their decision to bring in Kyle Orton, but he can’t let on about that either.
E.J. Manuel hasn’t proven a darn thing in the NFL, so E.J. Manuel has no choice but to take it and smile. And then take some more and smile some more.
And – this is the most important step – go out on the field and get it done, so people will begin to respect him.
If Manuel produces on the field, then he will be regarded as a leader by his teammates and his coaches will trust in him. If he doesn’t?
That’s why they signed Kyle Orton.
Manuel may not be a great QB, but he’s smart enough to know when to keep his mouth shut. So that’s something.