The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fitzpatrick finally has a deal
Jets start camp on positive note, bring back veteran QB.
After months of stalled contract negotiations, the Jets finally got their man: 34-year-old free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Almost seven months after the veteran quarterback ended his breakout 2015 season, he and the Jets agreed to a one-year deal worth $12 million on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
News of Fitzpatrick’s return was a welcome relief for fans and for an organization that had made it clear in January that it wanted to reunite with the 12-year pro. However, the two sides had long been at odds over money.
Early in free agency, sources indicted the Jets’ initial offer was about $7 million or $8 million a year — well below the going rate for NFL starting quarterbacks ($18 million) and what Fitzpatrick had expected.
Following his trade from Houston in March 2015, the career journeyman assumed the No. 1 job (after Geno Smith was injured in training camp) and helped transform a 4-12 club into a team eyeing a playoff berth. With Fitzpatrick leading their revamped offense, the Jets finished 10-6 last season, one win shy of the final AFC wild-card spot.
Fitzpatrick threw for a career-high 31 touchdowns, a Jets franchise record, and 3,905 yards.
The Jets selected Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg in the second round in the draft, but the organization always viewed Fitzpatrick as part of their plan for 2016.
Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only player not in attendance when the rest of the team arrived Wednesday morning. Linebacker Darron Lee, the team’s first-round draft pick, reached an agreement on a four-year deal worth $10.2 million with the Jets later in the day.
Patriots: Getting ready for the season — and the prospect of playing their first four games without quarterback Tom Brady — the Patriots reported for training camp on Wednesday. Brady can take part in practice and the preseason, but he will miss the first four regular-season games as punishment for his part in what the league found to be a scheme to illegally deflate footballs in the 2015 AFC championship game.
Coach Bill Belichick said there is finally some “definition” to the penalty, which has dragged on for 18 months, but gave no indication how he would use the practice time to prepare his quarterbacks. Jimmy Garoppolo is the backup, and the team also drafted Jacoby Brissett this year.
Packers: A fit and slimmer Eddie Lacy is pounding away at the defense in Green Bay training camp. The results of a new offseason training regimen are evident after the running back was called out by coach Mike McCarthy following last season for being too heavy.
“Do I look like I lost a few pounds over the summer?” Lacy responded to a question from a reporter. “You can go with that.”
The Packers would love to get Lacy back to 2013-14 levels of production. After eclipsing 1,100 yards each of his first two years, he ran for 758 yards on 187 carries in 15 games last season.
Rams: Released quarterback Nick Foles after failing to find a trade destination for the disgruntled veteran. Foles hasn’t been around the Rams since they traded up to choose California quarterback Jared Goff with the No. 1 pick in the draft, and he skipped offseason workouts while Los Angeles attempted to trade him.
Panthers: Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kawann Short said he won’t stage a contract holdout while awaiting a new deal. Short reported to training camp on time Wednesday, the same day the Panthers announced they gave safety Kurt Coleman a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2019 season. Financial terms were not released.
Chiefs: Placed running back Jamaal Charles on the physically unable to perform list, though coach Andy Reid said it should not be considered a setback in his return from a knee injury. Charles tore the ACL in his right knee in Week 5 last season and Reid said he plans to bring Charles along slowly.