The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were happy with Ryan Fitzpatrick last season, and decided to keep him with a new contract prior to free agency.
On Thursday afternoon, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers locked up their backup quarterback, re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick, 35, has played all over the league including with the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and Houston Texans.
Now, the former Harvard standout will enter his second year with Tampa Bay, having agreed to a one-year deal. Last year, Fitzpatrick was forced into action when Jameis Winston sustained a shoulder injury. The veteran played well, throwing for 1,103 yard and seven touchdowns against three interceptions.
If all goes according to plan in 2018, Fitzpatrick will collect his checks without having to throw near as many passes.
Contract details
The contract is for one year, but the amount of money is not known at this time. We will update this post when those details become available.
National reaction
#Bucs re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick, which is the safe play, but was it the smartest? We examine: https://t.co/HI9IPTZPne
— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsFHCN) March 9, 2018
The #Bucs will bring QB Ryan Fitzpatrick back to backup Jameis Winston https://t.co/kt138qQsi0
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) March 9, 2018
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Grade
The Buccaneers are trying to have consistency, and that’s never a bad thing. Tampa Bay was wildly disappointing last year, finishing in last place of the NFC South with a 6-10 record. Winston is still trying to develop as a quarterback, and having a smart backup isn’t the worst way to continue that progress.
While Fitzpatrick isn’t someone that any team would want starting at this juncture, he is one of the best backups in the game. Additionally, he has proven he can play well within Dirk Koetter’s system, so moving on seems like a foolhardy move.
Grade: B+