The Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick have finally ended their months-long contract standoff, agreeing Wednesday to a one-year, fully guaranteed pact worth $12MM, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link). Fitzpatrick can make an extra $3MM in incentives and rake in $15MM total, though the Jets would have to win the Super Bowl for him to earn that money, tweets Albert Breer of TheMMQB.
The news of the Jets and Fitzpatrick reaching a deal comes as little surprise after Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported earlier Wednesday that negotiations were “heating up” on the eve of the Jets starting training camp practice. However, the Jets previously didn’t want to give Fitzpatrick a one-year contract, notes ESPN’s Rich Cimini, who adds that the sizable extension awarded to defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson earlier this month opened up enough cap room ($5.7MM) for New York to re-sign the signal-caller. The Jets significantly increased their offer from $8MM to $12MM on Wednesday and informed Fitzpatrick to either take it by 7 p.m. ET or they’d move on, reports Schefter (Twitter link via Cimini).
Fitzpatrick, 33, and the Jets had fought since March over the 11-year veteran’s worth. After Fitzpatrick posted career-high totals in touchdowns (31) and yards (3,905) last season for a 10-win Jets team that narrowly missed the playoffs, he reportedly sought a multiyear accord worth between $12MM and $16MM in annual value. The Jets had other ideas in regards to average salary, however, having presented him a three-year, $24MM offer that featured $15MM in guarantees. New York also played with the idea of offering Fitzpatrick the chance to opt out after the first of three years, but he rejected that, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). While Fitzpatrick will haul in $3MM less in total guarantees with his new deal, the fact that it’s only over one year will give him a chance to cash in again in the future.
Although negotiations between the Jets and Fitzpatrick didn’t go as smoothly as either hoped, the fact that he’ll remain a member of Gang Green seems like a win for both sides. Barring injury, Fitzpatrick wouldn’t have found another starting job on the open market this summer, and the Jets couldn’t have gone into the season expecting to break their five-year playoff drought with Geno Smith under center. Smith has been a disappointment since New York used a second-round pick on him in the 2013 draft, while fellow Jets passers Christian Hackenberg (a second-round rookie) and Bryce Petty (a fourth-rounder in 2015) have combined for zero NFL snaps.
With a strong defense, an excellent receiving tandem (Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker) and an accomplished veteran running back (Matt Forte) in place, the Fitzpatrick-led Jets should have a chance to push for a postseason berth this year. And, with Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set to miss a quarter of the season because of a suspension, New York undoubtedly has its eyes on an AFC East title. Whether that’s realistic is highly debatable, but the Jets seem to stand a greater chance of accomplishing it now that Fitzpatrick is back in the driver’s seat.
Photo corutesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Jet’s WRs just became relevant again.
Yea they did. If healthy I like that group they have.
It took all this time to get to that deal?
SMDH.
He wanted a bigger deal with Mir Eminem guaranteed but now that all the other teams have their qb position filled he kind of lost leverage and they clearly weren’t going to go with Geno so they both had to give in at this point. He gets 12 million guaranteed and gets to hit the market again next offseason and I have a feeling he will have a another solid year and will have no problem getting paid then by someone like the Broncos who will soon see they have no real qbs on their roster lol
Really surprised that the Broncos did not try harder in nabbing up Ryan Fitzpatrick this offseason. Sad.
Big Mistake signing Fitz the career back up scrub.
It’s inly for a year, so it won’t hurt long term, but most likely he’ll have another great year like last year when he had a career best year.
Only*
Better than letting any of their other QBs flop out there. Geno’s no good and who knows if the younger ones are anywhere near ready. It doesn’t guarantee a championship (much less a playoff spot) but they’re a better team today than they were yesterday. Glad it finally got done.
If you don’t learn from history you repeat history. Fitz has parlayed one good year into a guaranteed big contract only to implode the very next year. He did it in Buffalo then in Texas. Now the career scrub has done it to the Jets for $12 million but only for one year plus incentives. Just once I’d like to see decentives in which they take away from his $12 million. It’s only for one year so no big deal. I’d bet anything he implodes and is back on the bench by Game 7. By then Jets management will throw in the towel and say lets see what we got in the young QB’s. It’s going to happen despite all your optimism. Leopards don’t change their spots. Fitz is a scrub