The difference between all-time NFL greats and would-be NFL greats is opportunity — the chance to prove themselves season after season. Ryan Fitzpatrick has had something to prove since the Rams drafted the Harvard grad in the seventh round in 2005. Approaching 40 years old and running out of options in a league that never embraced him as a franchise-caliber quarterback, Fitzpatrick needs one more opportunity to prove himself. Now that he’s back in the free agency pool, here are our landing spot predictions for the veteran signal-caller.
Predictions for Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2022 NFL Free Agency
How good is Fitzpatrick? Entering the 2021 season, his career per-game averages included 225 passing yards, 17 rushing yards, 1.6 TDs, and 1.3 turnovers. For context, future Hall of Famer Eli Manning averaged 243 passing yards, 2 rushing yards, 1.6 TDs, and 1.3 turnovers.
Nearly identical stats. Yet while Manning enjoyed the benefit of having one franchise build teams around him and his strengths, Fitzpatrick rarely had that luxury. After flopping in three rookie starts, he didn’t get another opportunity for three years until the Bengals desperately needed him to fill in after Carson Palmer’s season-ending injury.
The following offseason, Fitzpatrick was off to Buffalo after the Bills realized former first-rounder J.P. Losman wasn’t the answer. Fitzpatrick spent four seasons there, and If we examine some of his top receivers from those teams — headlined by Steve Johnson, with a supporting cast that included a post-prime Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, and Donald Jones — we can understand why he floundered.
In his 17-year career, none of Fitzpatrick’s nine teams have built their rosters around him. He’s served as a perennial bridge option for younger, “more promising” options. Had a team believed in him early on and built their offense to maximize his strengths, he might have been another Manning, or perhaps (likely?) even better.
But now, in the final stage of his career, Fitzpatrick is running out of time and options. Here are three of the most intriguing landing spots which could offer win-win opportunities for him and his new team.
New Orleans Saints
If Jameis Winston goes elsewhere, will the Saints lean on Taysom Hill? He’s locked into a four-year deal that runs through 2026, but Hill will be 32 in August. He’s getting paid good money, but not franchise-quarterback money. While his running game is electric, his passing game remains suspect. If New Orleans struggles in a Hill-led offense early this season, Fitzpatrick would be a terrific, nothing-to-lose replacement to help keep the Saints’ postseason hopes alive.
Seattle Seahawks
Drew Lock or Ryan Fitzpatrick? Maybe Seattle will find a third option, and surely they’ll look to the draft if they can’t secure a franchise-caliber starter before then. In the meantime, the Seahawks’ passing game could grind to a halt if Lock is their Week 1 QB. The team is saying all the right things; they reportedly believe in their new acquisition. But Fitzpatrick throwing to DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett sounds a little more compelling.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are in a state of flux without a reliable quarterback. They’ve openly shopped their former untouchable franchise running back. Their star receiver will be a free agent next offseason. If their defense can’t keep them competitive, Carolina realistically could be a 1-16 team in 2023.
This horrific situation is par for the course for Fitzpatrick, who’s had more unenviable tasks than a substitute grade-school teacher. He would have one job: play competent football and (presumably) mentor a rookie QB the Panthers select in this year’s draft. Anything Fitzpatrick achieves above and beyond what we saw from Sam Darnold, Cam Newton, and P.J. Walker last season would reinforce his reputation as one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks of his generation.