The first quarterback to lose games in four different countries
In short: In 2017, EJ Manuel achieved a bizarre NFL milestone. While most players strive for championship rings, Manuel became the first quarterback in history to be part of a team that lost games in the United States, Canada, England, and Mexico.
EJ Manuel’s professional journey is a study in the volatility of being a first-round draft pick. Selected 16th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2013 NFL draft, Manuel arrived with immense expectations. He had been a standout at Florida State University, where he helped lead the Seminoles to an ACC championship and an Orange Bowl victory in 2012. During his senior season, he threw for 3,392 yards, the second-most in program history at that time.
However, his NFL career was marked by inconsistency and injury. During his rookie season, Manuel threw for 1,972 yards and 11 touchdowns across 10 starts, but a Week 5 knee injury—a sprained lateral collateral ligament—sidelined him for five weeks. By 201 and 2015, he found himself falling down the depth chart behind veterans like Kyle Orton and Tyrod Taylor. His 2015 season was particularly notable for the international streak of losses: first in the US, then in London, England, and eventually in Mexico City while playing for the Oakland Raiders.
Beyond the field, Manuel’s career intersected with experimental finance. In 2014, he participated in a venture with Fantex, Inc., which offered 10% of his future brand earnings as a publicly traded tracking stock. The offering, completed in July 2014, sold 523,700 shares at $10 each. Though he eventually retired in 2019, Manuel transitioned into a new role as a college football analyst for the ACC Network.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: EJ Manuel
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