It seems that the New York Jets and last year’s starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick are not going to reach a deal before 2016 NFL training camp.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, “It doesn’t appear there will be a deal between the [New York] Jets and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick before the start of camp.”
The standstill between the Jets and their 2015 starting quarterback have been highly publicized all offseason. Fitzpatrick is coming off the best year of his NFL career as a journeyman quarterback, boasting career highs in passing yards (3,905), touchdown passes (31), and leading the Jets to a 10-6 record in 2015.
Essentially the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick wants franchise quarterback money and the Jets aren’t biting at giving the career journeyman top dollar. While both parties can’t seem to agree on terms for a new contract, the Jets have loudly become the team in the NFL with the worst quarterback situation entering 2016 NFL training camp.
Currently New York has three less-than-desirable choices to trot out at starting quarterback: 2013’s second-round draft pick Geno Smith, who hasn’t been nearly as good as he was in college for the West Virginia Mountaineers, former Baylor Bears starter Bryce Petty, who might just be an Air Raid system product, and former five-star recruit in rookie Christian Hackenberg formerly of the Penn State Nittany Lions, who can’t complete 60 percent of his passes in the Big 10.
Outside of the quarterback position, the Jets have a sound football team with great skill position players, fantastic defensive personnel, and a solid up-and-coming head coach in Todd Bowles. Should the Jets stumble out of the gate, New York might end up paying Fitzpatrick to come in off the street and save their downward spiraling team.
We’ll see how important the quarterback position is to the 2016 Jets’ success sooner rather than later.