Ryan Fitzpatrick made the Jets sweat and then made them pay
No one can really be surprised that the New York Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick eventually came to a deal, even with all the reports of Fitz moving out of his apartment, the Jets really not hating Geno Smith and all the rest.
It was pretty shallow stuff. On both sides. We rate the drama factor no more than a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10.
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But there is one interesting element: Fitzpatrick can be called your winner here. Sure, he gets less money — one year, $12 million (all guaranteed) and incentives that could push that total to $15 million. The initial offer to Fitzpatrick was three years, $24 million with $15 million guaranteed.
So how did he win? For one, he let the Jets blink first. The prospect of Smith starting had to play some role in deal getting done now, on the eve of camp. Even if the Jets do in fact like Smith, they were not ready for him to be out there Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Second, think of this as a long-game play for Fitzpatrick. If he plays anywhere this season close to the level he did in 2015, he’s betting on himself — and he’s a winner. Figure another guaranteed total in the same range, and boom — he’d already be making more in the first two seasons than he would have in three.
Fitzpatrick turns 34 this season, is on his sixth NFL team (and fourth since 2012) and has a history of struggling to string successful seasons back to back. But he has the system, the coaches and the wide receivers to make it happen again.
The Jets are in win-now mode — this is five straight years without the postseason — and have a tough schedule, so the stakes have been raised. But Fitzpatrick is betting on himself here, and the Jets are better. Make no mistake, they win too. GM Mike Maccagnan has done good work since he arrived, and the 11th-hour deals with Muhammad Wilkerson and Fitzpatrick were things he and the team felt they had to do.
But give Fitzpatrick some credit. He waited it out, knowing he had the leverage in the end. Play well, and he’ll win again next year.
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
