Washington Football Team: What to make of Ryan Fitzpatrick deal

On Monday, the Washington Football Team signed quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal.

There is some Fitzmagic in the air. The Washington Football Team signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one-year deal worth $10 million on Monday. Just a few days ago, it was reported that Fitzpatrick was retiring. He quickly made it known that he was still intending on playing, but at 38 it was reasonable to wonder if his career was over.

However, that question was put to bed on Monday when he signed with Washington. While the deal is for $10 million over one year, it could reach up to $12 million when factoring in the incentives. So what does this deal mean for Washington?

Well the simple answer is, they have a quarterback. Some fans were extremely excited for Taylor Heinicke to get his chance as the starter, and who knows — maybe that will still happen.

However, this was a much needed and very wise move. Fitzpatrick has proven he can help a team win. That one playoff game from Heinicke was great, but it was just one game. A 28-year-old with basically just that one game as a highlight shouldn’t be seen as the obvious future of a team. It’s fun to imagine Heinicke becoming a star and he absolutely deserves a chance to prove himself. Rolling into the season with no plan outside of him would have just been ridiculous though.

Ryan Fitzpatrick gives Washington the perfect amount of flexibility. He is a veteran who has proven he can win, he’s always well-liked and respected in the locker room as well. The perfect guy to have lead a young team.

Fitzpatrick will help Washington compete in 2021. He will be a good mentor and voice in the locker room. And he might even give opposing defenses nightmares every once in a while.

At the same time, though, if Heinicke (or someone else) proves they deserve to start, Fitzpatrick has shown plenty of times in the past he is okay in a backup role. And if he is called upon to start, he’ll show no rust and probably go out there and put up massive numbers to stir up a “who-should-be-starting” controversy. He’s done it plenty of times in the past.

Most importantly, Fitzpatrick is 38. He is not the answer at the position for a long time. Which makes him the perfect quarterback to help Washington right now. They can compete in 2021 while finding their quarterback for the years beyond.

And before you say that you would rather Washington be one of the worst teams in the NFL and get a top pick instead of going 8-8 and fighting for a playoff spot, there are two things to consider.

First of all, Washington has been horrendous for the better part of two decades. All those top picks haven’t been helping much. You compete whenever you can. That winning culture helps build a better team and attracts free agents to actually want to play for you.

Second, this team went 7-9 last year. That’s 7-9 with some of the most horrifically terrible quarterback play we’ve seen in quite some time. Washington was rarely able to consistently move the ball on offense in 2020.

One thing about Ryan Fitzpatrick is, he’s going to sling that thing around. Terry McLaurin will 100 percent have a career-year with a little Fitzmagic thrown his way. Add Fitzpatrick to an offense with a few exciting pieces and an elite defense, and some great things could happen.

There is no reason to limit Washington to 8-8 or 9-7. No reason to over-hype anything either, but 10-plus wins is absolutely obtainable. Ryan Fitzpatrick will help Washington compete now and build a winning culture. At the same time, he will be a fantastic mentor and voice in the locker room.

Does this make them Super Bowl favorites? Far from it. However, this should be a very exciting and competitive team in 2021. Fitzmagic is coming.