Bills open free agency by cutting QB Fitzpatrick

"We kept every possible option open right down to the wire, when we had to make a decision on whether to keep Ryan," general manager Buddy Nix said. "In the end, we had to do what we feel is best for our football team. And it was a difficult decision."

That leaves new coach Doug Marrone with another hole to fill in what's resembling another rebuilding project for a team that's already gone through many during a 13-season playoff drought — the NFL's longest active streak.

Marrone, who took over after Chan Gailey was fired in January, is the Bills sixth coach since 1999, when Buffalo last made the playoffs. And Buffalo's had little success in filling the quarterback position. Including Fitzpatrick, the team's gone through nine players who have started a minimum eight games since Hall of Famer Jim Kelly retired after the 1996 season.

Fitzpatrick's release leaves Buffalo with one experienced quarterback on its roster, Tarvaris Jackson, who signed a one-year contract last month. Nix has already expressed an intention to select a quarterback in the draft next month.

"Our focus remains on adding another quarterback to our roster," Nix said, "and we will continue to explore every option available to us."

Fitzpatrick wasn't available for comment. He had spent the past two months with his family in Arizona.

Fitzpatrick's up-and-down performance and his expensive contract were factors in his release. He went 20-33 as a starter over four seasons in Buffalo. And he was in the midst of a six-year, $59 million contract extension signed in October 2011.

That was regarded as too expensive for a player who wasn't guaranteed to return as starter this season. The Bills had held out hope that Fitzpatrick would be open to restructuring his contract, and free up space under the salary cap to allow the team to pursue free agents, and re-sign its own players.