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Ryan Fitzpatrick

Ryan Fitzpatrick Needs Surgery On Left Thumb

November 9th, 2015 at 4:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

MONDAY, 4:55pm: Fitzpatrick insinuated that he’ll be going under the knife on Friday, as Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets.

4:22pm: Coach Todd Bowles told reporters, including Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter) that Fitzpatrick could have surgery and he “may not be out” for the following game against the Texans. Bowles added that it is up to Fitzpatrick and the doctors as to when he has surgery (Twitter link via Brian Costello of the Post). The veteran could wait until after the season if he chooses to do so.

SUNDAY, 6:46pm: Ryan Fitzpatrick played well today after suffering a ligament injury in his non-throwing hand early in last week’s contest against the Raiders. However, it came out in the CBS production meeting that Fitzpatrick will require surgery on that thumb at some point before the end of the season, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter).

This revelation came as surprise to Jets fans, as well as Costello himself (via Twitter). Because the injury is on Fitzpatrick’s non-throwing hand and he was active this week, the expectation was that while his thumb might limit him, it would not cost him availability that would force Geno Smith back into the starting lineup.

Surgery could cause Fitzpatrick to miss time. CBS speculated that the veteran quarterback could elect to have the surgery on Friday, after a Thursday Night Football showdown with the Buffalo Bills (via Twitter). That would give him an extra few days to heal in time for a November 22nd game against the Houston Texans.

The exact quote from Fitzpatrick on whether or not he will have the surgery Friday is unclear, and Costello transcribes some of his words (via Twitter).

“Yes. I have to get surgery at some point,” said Fitzpatrick. “I don’t know. It’s still kind of up in the air.”

Costello spoke with David J. Chao M.D., who did not think Fitzpatrick would have to miss any games if he had the surgery on Friday making that an optimal date for the procedure (via Twitter). Chao reiterated that message in response to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, saying it would be a blow to the Jets if he had to have the surgery (via Twitter).

Smith might not get a chance to start and the Jets probably wouldn’t need to bring in a veteran backup if Fitzpatrick could avoid missing a game, but having surgery with such little recovery time is no sure thing.

AFC Notes: Idzik, Fitzpatrick, Steelers

November 7th, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Ben Levine

Former Jets general manager John Idzik will be headed back to New York this weekend when his current team, the Jaguars, takes on his former team. The current special assistant won’t be talking to the media, but Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post wonders if the executive will feel a bit jealous at his former employer’s current success.

Of course, some in the organization recognize Idzik’s contribution to this current squad.

“I’m sure Idzik wants to come here and just stick it in our [butts],’’ said linebacker Trevor Reilly. “I would, too, if I was him. But he drafted me. He drafted a lot of us in here. You always say you hope for the best for the guy, but obviously not this week. I don’t think Idzik’s a bad guy. I’m grateful he drafted me. I might not be here if he didn’t.

“Some of the moves we’ve made this season I’m assuming Mike [Maccagnan] would credit Idzik for — for clearing cap space the last two seasons. So, in that aspect, I guess we as a team can thank Idzik for clearing all that cap space. I think we were $25 million under the cap last year.’’

Let’s check out some more notes from the AFC…

East Notes: Bradford, Randle, Fitzpatrick

November 4th, 2015 at 9:24pm CST by Zachary Links

One report claimed that the Eagles offered Sam Bradford a four-year, $72MM deal before the start of the season. When asked about that story today, Philly’s starting quarterback shot it down.

“That offer must have gotten lost in the mail,” Bradford said, according to Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com. “I never saw that one. … I think those thoughts are a long way down the road. Obviously we have a big game against Dallas this week. Last week was more about stepping away and getting my mind right and getting ready for this week.”

Here’s more from the East divisions:

  • Talent was never the question with Joseph Randle and some within the Cowboys organization felt that his running style was actually a better fit for the team than DeMarco Murray‘s, David Moore of The Dallas Morning News writes. No one was foolish enough to suggest he would challenge Murray’s franchise record of 1,845 yards from last season, but they certainly hoped things would work out better than this. Randle was released by Dallas on Tuesday.
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the starter for the Jets on Sunday, coach Todd Bowles told reporters, including Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter).
  • Rex Ryan told reporters, including Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter), that he tried to hire Dan Campbell at one point while he was the head coach of the Jets. However, he says that the Dolphins wouldn’t allow the Jets to interview Campbell, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Campbell, who began the year as the team’s tight ends coach, is now serving as Miami’s interim coach. At the midway point, it seems possible that he could keep the job beyond 2015.

East Notes: Jets, Harvin, Washington, Pats

November 2nd, 2015 at 3:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, including Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter links), Jets head coach Todd Bowles provided updates on his injured quarterbacks, indicating that Geno Smith has a bruised shoulder and is day to day, while Ryan Fitzpatrick is also day to day with ligament damage in his thumb. Fitzpatrick will require surgery eventually, but may be able to play through the injury for now.

Still, with their top two quarterbacks uncertain for Week 9, the Jets are considering outside options, eyeing both the free agent market and the trade market, Bowles confirmed (Twitter links). The head coach identified Matt Flynn as one option the club is mulling, and added that if the Jets bring in a new QB, the newcomer could start or back up Bryce Petty, depending on Smith’s and Fitzpatrick’s availability (Twitter links).

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the NFL’s East divisions…

  • As Rand Getlin of the NFL Network tweets, Bills wide receiver Percy Harvin is back with the team and has met with the doctors, who are evaluating his hip injury. Reports in October suggested Harvin was contemplating the idea of retiring, but head coach Rex Ryan said today that Harvin wants to play and is committed to the Bills, per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News. “That’s the least of our concern with him,” Ryan said. “I know he wants to play. He desperately wants to contribute to this team.”
  • Ryan also told reporters today that Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin, who began the season on the non-football injury list, will be activated and placed on the 53-man roster this week (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW).
  • A team source tells John Keim of ESPN.com that Washington isn’t expected to be active at the trade deadline on Tuesday. Keim cautions that things could change if the club gets desperate, but it appears unlikely Scot McCloughan and company will make a deal.
  • With an eye on keeping their special teams emergency lists fresh, the Patriots worked out a handful of players today, including long snapper Tyler Ott and punter Cody Mandell, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

Jets Looking For Options At Quarterback

November 1st, 2015 at 6:55pm CST by Rob DiRe

Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t been a revelation at quarterback, but for a team built on defense and running the football, he had been enough through the first six games.

The team had to turn to Geno Smith as Fitzpatrick suffered an injury early in the loss to the Raiders. It was initially reported as a ligament issue on his non-throwing hand, according to Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press (via Twitter). He was ruled out for the game, although he did return for one play late in the fourth quarter after Smith left the game with an injury.

At that point, the Jets were already making phone calls to inquire about quarterbacks who could potentially be available, either via trade or free agency, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio mentions that there aren’t many options available, highlighting Ryan Mallett and Zach Mettenberger as two potential targets. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com adds Buccaneers backup Mike Glennon to the list of quarterbacks the Jets should consider (via Twitter). He also mentions Chad Henne, Kellen Clemens, Matt Schaub, Chase Daniel, Colt McCoy, and Dan Orlovsky as quarterbacks with expiring contracts (via Twitter).

To add another level of complexity, Smith was also injured in the game, consulting with a doctor presumably to have X-rays taken after the game, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post (via Twitter). Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News specifies that Smith is dealing with shoulder and ab issues (via Twitter).

Fitzpatrick is assumed to have torn ligaments in the thumb of his non-throwing hand, according to head coach Todd Bowles as reported by Mehta (via Twitter). Based on how quickly the organization looked to add another signal caller, the expectation is that he could miss some time.

The only quarterback left on the depth chart besides Smith is fourth-round pick Bryce Petty. If Smith also misses time is , which isn’t expected right now, Petty would likely take over, and the team would need to bring in another passer to round out the roster.

East Notes: Dolphins, Eagles, Alonso, Jets

September 28th, 2015 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

With Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season nearly complete, only one division has three teams over .500 — the AFC East currently features the 3-0 Patriots, the 2-1 Bills, and the 2-1 Jets. Of course, there’s plenty of concern about the one sub-.500 club in the division, so let’s round up the latest out of Miami, along with a few more notes from around the league’s two East divisions….

  • In the view of Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Sunday’s loss to Buffalo was the worst of the Joe Philbin era for the Dolphins, and it put the entire coaching staff on the hot seat. In a second piece, Salguero writes that the Dolphins have issues on multiple levels, pointing to ownership, coaching, and the team’s offseason personnel decisions as potential causes for concern.
  • If Dolphins owner Stephen Ross isn’t wondering what he’ll get out of the $210MM he committed to Ryan Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, he should be, writes John Kryk of the Toronto Sun.
  • Eagles kicker Cody Parkey aggravated a preseason groin injury against the Jets, so the Eagles will bring in free agent kickers for workouts today, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
  • Eagles linebacker Kiko Alonso today is in Florida today, visiting Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion on his knee injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). As Schefter notes, Dr. Andrews’ diagnosis will help to determine whether or not Alonso will require surgery on the troublesome knee.
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick had his first bad game of the season on Sunday, throwing three interceptions in the Jets‘ loss to the Eagles. But even with Geno Smith on the way back, head coach Todd Bowles reiterated that Fitzpatrick is the team’s starter, and Newsday’s Bob Glauber says that’s the right call.

AFC Notes: Jets, Bills, Dolphins, Browns

September 27th, 2015 at 8:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick performed nicely for the Jets in leading them to a 2-0 start, completing well over 60 percent of passes and tossing four touchdowns against two interceptions. However, the 11th-year man came back to earth on Sunday in a 24-17 loss to the Eagles. He threw a whopping 58 passes and three picks while averaging a paltry 4.88 yards per attempt. Afterward, head coach Todd Bowles gave Fitzpatrick a vote of confidence, but he acknowledged that the 32-year-old is going to have to limit mistakes to stay atop the Jets’ depth chart.

“Ryan (Fitzpatrick) is our starter,” said Bowles, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini (Twitter link)

Bowles then added, “You’re not going to win a game throwing three interceptions.”

A look at a few other AFC teams, including some notable injury news:

  • Although a hamstring injury has slowed Bills running back LeSean McCoy since August, head coach Rex Ryan is reluctant to give him a week off, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link). McCoy, whom Ryan estimates to be at 80 percent, wasn’t much of a factor in the Bills’ 41-14 thrashing of Miami on Sunday. The three-time Pro Bowler rushed for a mere 16 yards on 11 carries, though he did find the end zone for the first time this year on a 10-yard reception.
  • Like McCoy, receiver Sammy Watkins – one of Buffalo’s other big-time playmakers – was limited Sunday because of injury. The second-year man caught one pass for 39 yards before leaving with a calf injury. Ryan referred to Watkins’ ailment as a “big concern” after the game, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweeted.
  • While McCoy and Watkins didn’t make huge impacts Sunday, the same wasn’t true for most of their offensive cohorts in Bills uniforms. Their embarrassment of the Dolphins should lead to the end of defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle‘s tenure, opines Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. Among Salguero’s reasons: The Dolphins have just one sack this year (none in the last 11-plus quarters), and tackle Ndamukong Suh has gone from a superstar in Detroit to a nonentity in Miami. That won’t cut it for a player who signed a mega-deal worth over $100MM to join the Dolphins in the offseason.
  • Browns quarterback Josh McCown injured his right hand in the team’s 27-20 loss to Oakland on Sunday and subsequently had X-rays, which were negative, according to ESPN. “I don’t want to speak on it,” McCown said. “I’ll let coach (Mike Pettine) speak on it, but I feel good.”

East Rumors: Eli, Eagles, Jets, Brady

September 18th, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the incredible durability he’s shown in his 12-year career, Eli Manning is unlikely to play out the four-year contract extension he signed with the Giants last week, Bryce Johnston of OverTheCap writes. Manning’s estimated contract value, a tool used by OverTheCap, produced a slightly lower figure than his 2004 draft class peers Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers, younger than the 34-year-old Manning by 14 and 11 months, respectively. Cam Newton tops this value-based chart.

Here’s what’s going on across the Eastern divisions on Friday night.

  • Third-year Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ aggressiveness puts Philadelphia’s cornerbacks in difficult spots, writes Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The pressure-centric schemes often place Eagles corners in one-on-one spots, and that didn’t go well for Byron Maxwell against Julio Jones in Week 1. With Chip Kelly bringing in Maxwell for $63MM to play this kind of coverage while Cary Williams, who ended up replacing Maxwell in Seattle, and Bradley Fletcher weren’t asked back. McLane opines Maxwell must acclimate to this scheme far better to justify his $10.5MM-per-year salary.
  • Kelly’s attempt to maximize the Eagles’ play count may be affecting his defense, writes Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News. With the Eagles trailing only the Broncos and Patriots in number of offensive plays run since Kelly assumed command in Philadelphia in 2013, Kelly’s teams are just 5-4 in December and ranked last (26 minutes, 40 seconds) in average time of possession in 2014.
  • Despite assuming the Jets‘ starting quarterback job via unrelated locker room violence, Ryan Fitzpatrick is taking his commitment to new heights in constantly texting Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall videos, notes and quizzes to form a chemistry with the wideouts, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports. “It’s energizing,” Marshall told Mehta. “It’s something I’ve been waiting for for the past five or six years … to play with a quarterback who approaches the game that way.” Fitzpatrick connected with both for scores in the Jets’ Week 1 win.
  • Geno Smith hasn’t taken snaps in team drills yet, just 7-on-7 scout-team work the past two days in practice, per Mehta (on Twitter). Unseating Fitzpatrick could be a task for Smith after two uneven seasons.
  • According to SI.com’s Greg Bedard in an interview with Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News, Tom Brady looks more drained for this point in the year after spending the offseason consumed by Deflategate. Bedard adds, however, that he doesn’t sense the 16-year veteran carrying added motivation like he did after last season’s proclamations of his demise following the Patriots‘ blowout loss to the Chiefs.

Community Tailgate: Texans QB Situation

September 17th, 2015 at 5:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With the NFL season underway, we have a whole new series of topics to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those topics. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Despite lacking a franchise-caliber quarterback last year, the Texans finished 9-7 and nearly made their first trip to the playoffs since 2012. The team responded in the offseason by trading Ryan Fitzpatrick to the Jets for a conditional late-round pick. Fitzpatrick started 12 games, completed over 63 percent of passes, and threw 17 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 2014. The 32-year-old is career journeyman who has never been a world-beater, but he did fare respectably enough last season to rank as Pro Football Focus’ (subscription required) 12th-best QB out of 28 signal callers who played at least 50 percent of their teams’ offensive snaps.

To replace Fitzpatrick, Houston made a couple of two-year signings: They added free agent Brian Hoyer on a deal worth $4.75MM guaranteed, and re-signed Ryan Mallett for $7MM. Neither was on Fitzpatrick’s level in 2014. As a member of the Browns, Hoyer started 13 games, ranked 24th out of PFF’s 28 qualifying QBs and also put up worse traditional numbers than Fitzpatrick (55.3 completion rate, 12 TDs, 13 INTs). Mallett amassed similarly uninspiring stats in three games with Houston, completing 54.7 percent of passes and averaging a meager 5.3 yards per attempt.

Hoyer and Mallett competed during the summer for the starting job – a battle that Hoyer won. However, his stay atop Houston’s QB depth chart didn’t last long. After going 18 of 34 for 236 yards, a score and a pick in Week 1, head coach Bill O’Brien pulled Hoyer in favor of Mallett in the Texans’ 27-20 loss to the Chiefs. Mallett fared well in relief (8 of 13, 98 yards and a TD). That was enough for O’Brien to name Mallett the team’s starter for this Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

While the season is only a week old, it appears QB is primed to weigh down a fairly talented Texans team in 2015. With that in mind, did the organization handle the position properly during the offseason? Instead of Hoyer and/or Mallett, should they have signed a different free agent? Were they wrong to jettison Fitzpatrick, who is now the Jets’ starter and turned in a solid opening week performance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

AFC East Notes: Fitzpatrick, Brady, Branch

August 31st, 2015 at 9:11am CST by Rory Parks

Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News certainly doesn’t believe Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Jets‘ long-awaited savior at quarterback, but given Fitzpatrick’s performance in the team’s preseason win over the Giants on Saturday night, along with the Jets’ corps of talented wideouts and loaded defense, Mehta does think the Harvard grad could keep Gang Green in playoff contention all season.

Now for some more links from the AFC East:

  • Judge Richard Berman is set to meet with NFL and NFLPA reps in court again today regarding the Tom Brady case, and a source in the Patriots quarterback’s camp tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link) that, barring a settlement, a decision is expected by week’s end. Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Giants owner John Mara is attending today’s hearing.
  • Ben Volin of The Boston Globe wonders if the Patriots regret signing Alan Branch to a two-year deal worth as much as $6.6MM this offseason. Branch played well for New England in 2014, but he skipped the team’s offseason workout program this year and arrived to training camp overweight and out of shape. Branch has a history of similar behavior, and since the Pats have some defensive line depth and only gave Branch $700K in guaranteed money, it would not be hard for the team to move on.
  • Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald would not be surprised if the Dolphins made the somewhat unorthodox decision to try and sign kicker Andrew Franks to the team’s practice squad. Salguero notes that Franks has tremendous upside. (Twitter link).
  • The Dolphins have their starting lineup mostly set as the regular season approaches, but the one exception is who will start at corner opposite Brent Grimes, writes Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Jamar Taylor was the leader before injuring his quadriceps, and Brice McCain hasn’t locked up the spot in his absence. Beasley writes that the great pressure the defense has gotten on the quarterback has made it difficult to evaluate the cornerback depth chart with the starting unit.

Rob DiRe contributed to this post.

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