FUZZY FITZ FEELIN’ FINE
Newly-signed QB relieved to rejoin his Gang
RYAN Fitzpatrick wouldn’t settle for backup money. That’s what he saw the Jets’ offer of $24 million over three years as, and so he hoped for the deal he eventually agreed to on Wednesday: a oneyear, $12 million contract to resign with Gang Green. “I couldn’t accept a deal, the deal that was made public, that was a deal that basically said, ‘Hey, we want you here and then can you stay here as the backup?’” Fitzpatrick said Thursday. “It wasn’t insulting. I mean none of this is personal. They’ve got to do right by them. But I just made sure to express to them that I would never accept an offer like that.”
“When that offer came in I thought it’s gonna be a one-year deal,” he added. “Because if that’s how they want to play, and that’s how they see it, I’d much rather bet on myself.”
Technically Fitzpatrick’s deal is for two years but it voids five days after the Super Bowl, he said. The second year allows the Jets to spread the cap hit over two years, even though for all intents and purposes it’s just a one-year contract.
Throughout the offseason, the Jets weren’t interested in a oneyear deal at $12 million. But just before training camp the team got on board, made the offer and set a deadline of Wednesday evening to get it done.
“One way or the other I just thought we had to move on,” Todd Bowles said. “It was probably good for some players in the locker room to have some clarity.”
As the negotiations approached their conclusion, Fitzpatrick, eager to get back and make the 7 p.m. team meeting, circled around Florham Park waiting to hear from his agent that the never-ending contract drama was over. Eventually, he got the go-ahead.
Fitzpatrick didn’t even have a door code, having been a free agent for months, and had to text Brandon Marshall to get his.
When Fitzpatrick got in, he ran to make the team meeting.
“He came in the door about one minute to 7 and said, ‘Sorry I’m late, Coach,’” Todd Bowles said. “I told him, ‘That’s a $12 million fine.’”
“I’m happy it got resolved,” Bowles said. “I’m happy he’s here.”
So were his teammates. Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker were outspoken throughout the offseason about their desire for the team to re-sign Fitzpatrick.
“It was the same feeling I got
when we got Mo (Wilkerson) done,” Marshall said. “It was the same feeling...It’s a good feeling to be whole right now.”
The wideout did jokingly turn up the pressure on his quarterback, saying, “You want all this money you better throw some touchdowns.”
Fitzpatrick said he greatly appreciated the support he got from his fellow veterans while he was deadlocked in negotiations with the team.
“The way that those guys had my back, and just some of the loyalty and faith that they showed in me I thought was awesome,” Fitzpatrick said. “Probably the best thing that came about this long, turbulent offseason for me was just that bond between us — I think it grew stronger.”
“They’re good friends, I understand them being BFFs and having a heart around him, that’s all I can take from it,” Todd Bowles added.
With the ink still drying on his contract, Fitzpatrick and his Jets teammates hit the practice field for the first time this training camp on Thursday afternoon. Though at one point Fitzpatrick threw a beautiful deep ball to Marshall down the sideline, he flashed some rust as well. The bearded veteran was picked off twice in team drills — once each by Jordan Jenkins and Dexter McDougle — and then again in 7-on-7s.
“It’s the first day of camp, everybody was rusty,” Bowles said.
Fitzpatrick said he tried to keep his arm loose during the offseason but didn’t have any NFL-caliber receivers to throw to and mostly spent a lot of time on the golf course.
Throughout that time, while the contract negotiations extended on and on, Fitzpatrick said he always believed he’d be back with the Jets.
“I always thought it would get it done just because it made too much sense for me to be here and it made too much sense for them to have me here,” he said. “I never really lost faith that it was going to get it done. But it was tough. It was definitely a trying process for as long as it lasted.”
@SethWalderNYDN