Another year, another new team for FitzMagic. The Washington Football Team filled their vacancy at quarterback with journeyman gun-for-hire Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will suit up for his ninth team next season.
Fitzpatrick, 38, played for eight teams over a 16-year career. He never spent more than four seasons with the same team, which included a four-season stint with the Buffalo Bills between 2009 and 2012.
Washington made the difficult yet ruthless decision to cut Alex Smith. It was a miracle that the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year didn’t lose his leg, let alone step onto the field again. Lest we forget, the NFL is a cutthroat business and Washington cut Smith despite his amazing comeback.
Washington didn’t have any young talent to promote after releasing Smith. They cut first-round draft pick Dwyane Haskins in the middle of last season after he broke COVID-19 protocols. After Cam Newton resigned with the New England Patriots, Washington signed Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal worth $10 million, with up to an additional $2 million in incentives.
Fitzpatrick will compete for WFT’s starting job with Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.
Fitzpatrick, currently ranked #30 on the NFL’s all-time passing list with 34,977 yards, could move into the top 25 if he plays a full season with Washington. He’s ranked #35 in career passing touchdowns and needs 25 touchdowns to move into the top 25 all-time.
FitzMagic’s 9 Jerseys
Fitzpatrick suited up for the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Bucs, Miami Dolphins, and St. Louis Rams.
The Rams selected him out of Harvard in the seventh round in the 2005 NFL Draft. You don’t see many Ivy League players in the NFL, let alone at the quarterback position.
| FITZMAGIC NFL TEAMS |
| GAMES | STARTS | TDs | |
| St. Louis Rams | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 14 | 12 | 8 |
| Buffalo Bills | 55 | 53 | 80 |
| Tennessee Titans | 11 | 9 | 14 |
| Houston Texans | 12 | 12 | 17 |
| New York Jets | 30 | 27 | 43 |
| Tampa Bay Bucs | 14 | 10 | 24 |
| Miami Dolphins | 24 | 20 | 33 |
| Washington | ? | ? | ? |
Fitzpatrick spent the majority of his first four seasons as a little-used backup. He found his groove with the Buffalo Bills, where he started in 53 out of 55 games. He had some of his best seasons with Buffalo, including in 2011 when he tossed 24 touchdowns for the 6-10 Bills.
In 2015, FitzMagic took his gunslinging abilities to the Big Apple. He led the Jets to a 10-6 record in Todd Bowles’ first year as a head coach. Fitzpatrick threw a career-high 36 touchdowns, but the Jets bubbled the playoffs when they lost a heartbreaker in Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills.
The Miami Dolphins benched Fitzpatrick in favor of first-round draft pick Tua Tagovailoa. The move irked Fitzpatrick because they didn’t tell him to his face; he heard about the news from his son, who saw the breaking news on social media. In seven starts, Fitzpatrick threw 13 touchdowns and eight picks. He went 4-3 as a starter last season.
The Dolphins plan to move forward with Tua if the Fins don’t land Deshaun Watson in a trade with the Houston Texans.
As a starting quarterback, Fitzpatrick is 59-86-1.
