Should the Jets have signed Fitzpatrick back to the team?
Inked. Signed. FINALLY. Ryan Fitzpatrick is back with the New York Jets. Was this a good deal for the team?
 |
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets strike one-year contract – NFL.com The Ryan Fitzpatrick stalemate with the New York Jets has finally come to an end. Fitzpatrick is re-signing with the team on a 1-year deal worth $12 million, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports from a source. |
| Source: www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000677227/article/ryan-fitzpatrick-jets-strike-oneyear-contract | |
1 year. $12 million dollars. Those were the terms that the Jets were offered by Ryan Fitzpatrick, which they accepted. This was a no brainer for both of them. The Jets had no dependable quarterback on their roster, not turnover prone Geno Smith, not inexperienced Bryce Petty and most certainly not rookie Christian Hackenberg. There was also no outstanding free agent in the market (recently released Nick Foles by the Los Angeles Rams does not help matters). Plus, Gang Green was up against the clock, with training camp already underway. Fitzpatrick needs the repetitions to get the chemistry going with receivers Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker and the rest of the offense. The system of offensive coordinator Chan Gailey is not just something that can be picked up on the fly;all the pieces need to gel together.
On the flip side, this contract Fitzpatrick benefitted him. No other team in the NFL wanted to sign him, given his history as a journeyman. Where else was Ryan going to find a top 10 offense with a WR duo like these? Look at these numbers:
- A career best of 31 touchdown passes broke Vinny Testaverde’s record of 29 TDs set in 1998 for the Jets.
- His career best 3,905 passing yards were 2nd in team history behind Joe Namath’s NFL record 4,007 yards set in 1967.
- With Ryan at the helm, Decker set a Gang Green record with 10 red zone TD catches.
Apart from the numbers, Fitzpatrick has many intangibles. He is a great leader and a tremendous presence in the locker room, something Geno and the other QBs don’t possess. Gailey tailored his offense around him and Ryan’s skills fit this system like a glove. This is one of the reasons he set personal records with New York in 2015.
This contract was a win-win situation for the Jets and Fitzpatrick. New York signed him at a reasonable price and got a returning starter back. Ryan retains familiarity in the spread offense and can continue to develop a repertoire with Marshall, Decker and his team. This marriage came in the nick of time, right in time for the 2016 season.
