I’ll be damned, the sly ol’ sumbitch Ryan Fitzpatrick has done it again. He simply will not go quietly into the night. 17 years – SEVENTEEN YEARS! – this man has been riding around the NFL from team to team. He made headlines last week when the Washington Football Team announced that they had signed him to a one year deal.
Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has reached agreement with the Washington Football Team on a one-year deal worth $10 million that could grow to $12 million with incentives, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.
It looks like this man is going to come in and start, too! He’s 38 years old, on his 9th different NFL team, and he’s still walking through doors ready to save the quarterback position. Sure, Taylor Heinicke got hot in the playoff game and got WFT fans all hot and bothered. Kyle Allen might still get a shot. But, just look at that quarterback room and tell me with a straight face that Fitzmagic ain’t gonna be the starter.
Has anyone in the history of the game done this? Just casually bounced around to nearly a third of the teams in the league? Well, it’s not just the bouncing around for so long that’s impressive – it’s that there’s a pattern of him coming in and stabilizing the quarterback position at least for a season or two before moving on to the next reclamation project. It’s fucking unbelievable. If any of you are wrestling fans, Ryan Fitzpatrick is like the Brooklyn Brawler of the NFL – a total jobber that never wins anything, but damn it, is he valuable to have around to make the rest of the room look that much better. This isn’t just a “stabilizing” job, though. Fitzpatrick clearly believes he can guide this team to a postseason run because he believes he’s playing the best football of his career:
“”I’m playing better right now than I’ve ever played in my career,” Fitzpatrick told reporters last week.“
Sports Illustrated
He just might do it this year. This may be the best, most complete, team he’s played for yet. And, don’t look now, but Fitzpatrick is actually climbing up the all-time list in passing yards. Would you believe that he’s 30th in NFL history with 34,977 passing yards? Two more solid years and this dude’s going to be knocking on the door of the top 20. He’s 29th in NFL history in passes attempted with 5,054 (and he hasn’t even been a full-time starter his whole career!). He’s 35th in passing touchdowns with 223. The man has stats that may surprise you. Maybe it’s true that he’s never been one of the best to play his position among his contemporaries….sure, he’s earned the nickname ‘FitzTragic’ just as much as he earned the nickname ‘FitzMagic.’ But, I don’t want to hear about that right now. This man is in rarefied air. His greatness….err….at the very least, his longevity (and sense of style for that matter) deserve to be commended. This man is a human quarterback cockroach that simply will not die. In fact, I believe Ryan Fitzpatrick may be immortal. I can’t wait to read this man’s book one day.
It just goes to show you how important it is to be patient with a quarterback. If they don’t pan out right away, just give them 17 years and eventually, they’ll come around.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
