The Buffalo Bills announced Monday that General Manager Buddy Nix will step away from his role as GM and transition to Special Assistant.The Bills did not immediately announce Nix's replacement, though it is expected assistant GM Doug Whaley, 40, will take over. The team has been grooming Whaley to assume the role at some point.
Nix is 73 years old. He has been the team's general manager for three seasons. The move comes after Nix oversaw the draft in which the Bills selected quarterback EJ Manuel in the first round.
“I’ve made this decision to step away from the General Manager’s position because I feel it is the right time. By the ‘right time’ I mean I think we have a good young roster, an excellent head coach with a good staff, and it’s time to let someone else handle these responsibilities and move forward together. Timing is the main thing, but there are other benefits as well. This job is very demanding with a 24-7 schedule of responsibilities. This new position will enable me to spend more time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Mr. Wilson and Russ and I’m fortunate to step away from the job and still remain a part of the team," Nix said in a statement.
“I feel strongly that the team is on the right course for success,” Nix added. “We have some excellent talent on our team and Coach Marrone and his staff are doing a terrific job in leading and teaching the players we have on our roster. I was very impressed with the 24 rookies we had in this past weekend and I’m very excited about the upcoming season. I think this is going to be an exciting time for our team and our fans.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.