ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Bills have signed quarterback Matt Barkley to a one-year deal, the team announced Wednesday.
Barkley, 28, will likely serve as Nathan Peterman's backup if Derek Anderson cannot start Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears because of a concussion. A source told ESPN's Adam Schefter that Peterman is expected to start, but coach Sean McDermott said Tuesday that Anderson has not been ruled out.
The Bills are Barkley's sixth team since the Philadelphia Eagles selected him in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He spent this preseason with the Cincinnati Bengals before being placed on injured reserve and later released.
Barkley joins Anderson as the second free-agent quarterback the Bills have signed since the regular season began. Asked Wednesday if the Bills considered signing free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick before adding Barkley, McDermott said he and general manager Brandon Beane are "always looking at all of the different options" and he would "leave it at that."
McDermott said he and Beane had a conversation about the potential non-football implications of signing Kaepernick, who filed a collusion grievance last year against the NFL accusing NFL owners of conspiring to keep him off teams because of his controversial protests during the national anthem.
McDermott declined to comment further on the topic, saying, "I'm going to let it lie."
Rookie first-round pick Josh Allen will miss his third consecutive game Sunday because of a sprained elbow.
Buffalo also placed running back Taiwan Jones (neck) and punter Corey Bojorquez (shoulder) on injured reserve and re-signed punter Colton Schmidt on Wednesday.