The New York Jets Must Re-Sign Ryan Fitzpatrick
The New York Jets have an interesting decision to make after the season regarding Ryan Fitzpatrick.
When Mike Maccagnan rolled into his new role with the New York Jets, he knew he had to work on the quarterback situation. Geno Smith had his moments over his first two seasons, but overall had been a disappointment. He drafted Bryce Petty, and brought Ryan Fitzpatrick in from the Texans via trade. Fitzpatrick was a smart quarterback, but had gone from team to team, never establishing himself as a consistent starter, but as a guy that made smart decisions with the football and could be relied on.
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Despite that, he entered training camp as the New York Jets’ backup QB, to the dismay of much of the fan base. Then, the locker room incident happened, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was thrust into the starting role. He has been the steady hand for a team that brought in a lot of new pieces. Fitzpatrick has his Jets right in the middle of a tough Wild Card race, sitting at 5-4 with seven games left.
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General Manager Mike Maccagnan, at his mid-season address to the media, stated that Fitzpatrick has “a lot of good football” left in him. That gives us a clear indication as to how the organization feels about their journeyman starter.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is in New York on a one year deal, so the Jets will have a decision to make at season’s end. It should be an easy one.
The New York Jets must re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick.
First of all, take a look at Fitzpatrick’s stats for the year to date:
169-283, 59.7% completion, 1,983 yards, 15 TD’s, 9 INT’s
Fitzpatrick has spent most of the season at a completion percentage of over 60%. When was the last time the New York Jets had a quarterback that efficient? You have to go all the way back to Chad Pennington, who posted a career completion of 66%. Clearly, the Jets haven’t seen production like this in years.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is the right quarterback at this time for the New York Jets.
Nov 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to throw a pass against the Oakland Raiders in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Jets 34-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Secondly, if not Ryan Fitzpatrick, then who? The New York Jets need SOMEBODY to play the quarterback position. Bryce Petty will not be ready to take over. If the Jets decide to draft another guy, he won’t be ready to play next year either.
Then, there is Geno Smith. Now, has there been a name that New York Jets’ fans have hated more lately? Geno Smith hasn’t been horrible for his entire career, with multiple come from behind wins, and culminating with a perfect QB rating in the final game of the 2014 season.
The issues with Geno Smith are two of the biggest no-no’s a quarterback can have. He holds the ball too long and turns the ball over too much. 34 interceptions over his first two seasons are far too many. In relief of Fitzpatrick against the Oakland Raiders, Smith threw another interception. Combine that with countless questionable off the field decisions, and Smith has shown nobody that he is ready to take that next step as a starting quarterback.
Oct 25, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Fitzpatrick is only 32 years old. Is he a guy that the New York Jets can look at as the long term, franchise quarterback? Of course not. But he is not a guy at the end of his career either. Does he have, as Mike Maccagnan put it, a lot of football left in him? Why not? Sure he does. The Jets will need a guy to bridge the gap over the next few years, while they groom their next attempt at a franchise quarterback.
Ryan Fitzpatrick should be that guy.
Don’t forget the age of the core New York Jets either. Players like Brandon Marshall, Darrelle Revis, and Antonio Cromartie are on the wrong side of 30. So are D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. Yes they have young players like Muhammad Wilkerson, but a lot of the core is older. The Jets are building for the future, but they also need to win now.
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They could do a lot worse than a smart quarterback that completes around 60% of his passes, can protect the football, and is durable.
The New York Jets have a decision to make at the end of the season, but it isn’t a hard one. They must re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick.