"Trent Edwards is ready to have fun this season. Just ask him. Every time he opens his mouth, Edwards tells us how much he's enjoying his job. At Wednesday's opening media day, the Bills' quarterback used "enjoy" in one form or another no fewer than eight times.

It's refreshing to hear. We've seen Edwards at his worst, when football slapped him in the head and knocked all the joy out of being an NFL player. Edwards has been roughed up and ridiculed. He's lost confidence and his job. But he's back, with a new head coach, a new running back, and a new outlook on life.

Bills fans can only hope this revival is genuine and lasting. But maybe Edwards talks about the joy of football because he'd rather not contemplate its more unpleasant realities. It's a job -- a violent and unforgiving one, at that.

The NFL isn't all fun and games. As anyone who has followed the negotiations between the league and the players' union can attest, it's a business.

Edwards is the No. 1 quarterback. He had a terrific preseason, and he seems to have rediscovered the swagger and skill of his early career. But he is in the final year of his original contract. Franchise quarterbacks don't waddle into the opener as lame ducks. Edwards needs to prove he's the long-term answer.

"Sure," said coach Chan Gailey. "Anyone who has not done that on a consistent basis has something to prove. There's guys who have had one good year, or two good years, who have to prove it. There's not many [franchise QBs] around. But there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Of course, that light could be a 255-pound linebacker, bearing down on Edwards with malice in his heart. The questions persist about the fourth-year pro from Stanford. Can he stay healthy? Can he stand in the pocket and make the throws down the field? Or will he lose his nerve and revert to checking down to the flat at the first opportunity?

"I'm out here to prove that I'm a winning quarterback," Edwards said. "That's what I'm trying to do. Like I said, I'm trying to come here and enjoy the sport of football."

But at some point, the new regime at One Bills Drive has to decide if Edwards is the franchise guy. It's likely that they're looking to next year's draft, which is rich in quarterbacks. Edwards doesn't stand a chance if the team doesn't win. He's essentially in the same spot J.P. Losman was a few years ago.

"I honestly haven't even thought about that," Edwards said. "There's guys in this organization who are paid a lot of money to make those decisions. My opinion doesn't matter in this situation, so I'm going to do what I'm paid to do, and that's deliver the football and win games on Sunday.""