Orchard Park, N.Y. — Doug Marrone has a few days left to decide whether he wants to continue to coach the Buffalo Bills in 2015.

According to multiple reports, Marrone has a three-day opt-out clause in his contract that kicked in when the season ended. At his joint press conference with Bills general manager Doug Whaley, Marrone refused to discuss the clause or any details of his contract, as he has done throughout his career.

"I can't answer that question," Marrone said. "I will tell you this, and my background has been the same and you guys can look into. I do not discuss my contract, and that's my rule. I never have and never will."

But how seriously should Marrone be considering opting out of his contract? There are a few reasons it wouldn't be a bad move for Marrone.

1. Quarterback situation

The easiest way to succeed in the NFL is with a stable quarterback situation. The Bills may have the least stable quarterback situation of any team in the NFL. Kyle Orton, who started 12 games in 2014 and held the team back offensively, retired on Monday morning. Second-year quarterback EJ Manuel, meanwhile, was benched 14 games into his NFL career. He and Jeff Tuel are currently the only quarterbacks on the roster.



If Marrone thinks he can find a situation that will provide a quarterback that gives him a better chance to be successful long term in the NFL, why wouldn't he jump at that? Right now, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Oakland are among the open head coaching jobs and all have better quarterback situations than the Bills.

2. Relationship with Doug Whaley

One of the most important factors to long-term success in the NFL is the relationship between a head coach and a general manager. Look across the league, and most of the league's best franchises — the Seahawks, Packers and Ravens to name a few — they have the common element of the coach and general manager having a strong working relationship.

Does Marrone have that kind of relationship with Bills general manager Doug Whaley? The two have denied any tension between them, including at the press conference on Monday, but going back to training camp there have been reports suggesting the two don't have the best working relationship. Team president Russ Brandon said that was just a result of a long training camp.

"If I'm missing something, then I'm missing something," Brandon said. "Those guys collaborate on everything from practice squad transactions to everything on player personnel. As you guys know, every day is not perfect when it comes to decision-making, but they're incredible collaborators, they work together in everything. There hasn't been a roster move in the time that Doug Whaley has been the GM that he hasn't worked hand-in-hand with coach."

If Marrone were to opt out of his contract, that would say more about his relationship with Whaley than anything else.

3. Uncertainty

Let's face it: The reason the clause exists in Marrone's contract to begin with is to protect him against an ownership change and the uncertainty that comes with it. Nobody is sure of what Terry and Kim Pegula will do with the Bills. They may hire a "football czar" of sorts (Bill Polian's name has been mentioned), and that could add another potential voice to a mix that has already had some reported issues. Of course, Marrone will likely have to make a decision on his contract before he knows what changes could be coming to the football operation, and that makes it tricky.

By going to another team, Marrone might get a more stable situation in the front office, and that could in turn give him more job security. Everything about this decision is about finding stability. Marrone has a few days to decide whether the situation in Buffalo gives him that.