There are various teams in the NFL who are dealing with less than ideal quarterback situations this off-season, including the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. Another team with quarterback issues of their own this off-season is the New York Jets. The Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick cannot agree on a new contract, which is unbelievable since inking a new deal would benefit both sides. While no one would mistake Fitzpatrick for a top tier quarterback, like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, from the Jets side of things, the Harvard alum is the best option for them at quarterback and the NFL is a passing/quarterback driven league. It is almost impossible to have real success without a good quarterback. From Fitzpatrick’s perspective, no other teams are exactly banging down his door to try to secure his services for the 2016 season, so he needs to make a deal with the Jets work.
New York Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick Must Agree to a new Contract
In 2015 Fitzpatrick threw for 3,905 yards with 31 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and played a big part in the Jets success. While Gang Green just missed out on the playoffs, they did post a 10-6 record last season. The Jets currently have three signal callers on their roster. Geno Smith who, for his career, has thrown for 5,836 yards with 27 touchdowns and 35 interceptions. The former West Virginia Mountaineer did not play in 2015 once Fitzpatrick took over in Week 1 after getting Smith suffered a broken jaw in a locker room fight with former teammate IK Enemkpali. Bryce Petty, a second year quarterback out of Baylor, did not see any time on the field during his first regular season in the NFL. And finally, the Jets have rookie Christian Hackenberg, who they drafted in the second round (51st overall) in this year’s draft.
Smith has some talent, but he has not yet proven he can be a quality quarterback in the NFL and, while it is possible that Hackenberg, who is talented, is the long-term solution for the Jets at quarterback, Petty has not progressed like the organization hoped, and it is too early in the careers of either player to be able to say with any amount of confidence that they are the answer at quarterback, particularly for the 2016 season. The Jets actually have a pretty good team right now, but they need someone under center they can trust if they hope to challenge the New England Patriots in the AFC East and make the postseason. The Jets would be wasting some talent if they fail re-sign Fitzpatrick this off-season.
Reportedly, the Jets are offering Fitzpatrick $8-$9 million per year but the signal caller wants $15 million per season. It seems to make perfect sense that the Jets should increase their offer to around $10-$12 million per season, with some incentives (wins, touchdowns, etc.) for two years and Fitzpatrick should sign that deal. Head coach Todd Bowles has set a deadline of late July (when training camp starts) to get a deal done with Fitzpatrick, but the organization should want to get a deal done as soon as possible; waiting too long would be a huge mistake. However, many times, deals aren’t reached until right before a deadline.
If the Jets are unable to come to terms with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith, who has more career interceptions than touchdowns and a record of 11-18 as a starter, will most likely be the guy under center in New York to begin the 2016 season, and it is almost impossible to imagine the Jets making the playoffs with Smith at quarterback. So, to recap, the Jets leverage is they will move forward with Geno Smith are their starter, while Fitzpatrick is threatening to retire instead of play for backup type money. The two sides need to get a deal done, like yesterday.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – DECEMBER 27: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the New York Jets throws a pass in the first quarter against the New England Patriots during their game at MetLife Stadium on December 27, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
