NY Jets: Is it time to part ways with Ryan Fitzpatrick?

With the NY Jets last season, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had an incredible year but it is time for the team to part ways with him.

No one knew who Ryan Fitzpatrick was because of how mediocre he was as a quarterback until this season when he played for the Jets. General manager Mike Maccagnan took a chance with him because he knew the offense that was going to be ran with Chan Gailey being the new offensive coordinator.

The biggest concern the Jets had was wondering if Fitzpatrick could be able to handle the pressure coming of a serious leg injury the year before. He suffered a fractured leg last season when he played for the Houston Texans and that injury particularly is difficult to come back from when you are a quarterback.

It would be difficult for a player in his position to bounce back quickly because of them worrying about if they will injure themselves again. Before signing with the Jets last season when he was with the Texans, he had his best season with them as Fitzpatrick ended up with a 95.3 rating at his position which was his all-time high.

His number in passing yards was his highest with a total of 2,483 yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. When it came to close games that he had to deliver to get the job done, he didn’t produce because he had made mental mistakes that as a fan you don’t want to see happen. Many of the games throughout his career he would put his team in a deep hole were it would be very impossible for his team to come back and win the game.

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He has been bouncing around the league between six teams throughout his whole career which to me is a red flag because they probably see something that others don’t. He has played for the Texans, Titans, Bills, Bengals, Rams, and the Jets so you wonder why hasn’t he settled in as a starter for any of those organizations.

One problem I have is that he is getting older, if they were to bring him back next season he would be turning 34 years of age when he is in the middle of the year. It is hard to find a quarterback who is older, and that can stay healthy for a whole entire season that usually lasts about 4 to 6 months.

He also is too careless at times with the football in the way he carries when running with it as he needs to learn to be more careful to avoid injury. He also tries to force too many passes into double coverage which makes one wonder if he is paying attention to what he is trying to do. He is also a short quarterback at 6’2″ which is not the normal size for any player at this position since he has a hard time seeing over his offensive linemen.

Even though he brings a veteran presence, it is difficult to believe he will have the same type of season like he did this past year. If you are bringing a veteran quarterback to mentor the younger ones you would want a winning one. This season with the Jets was his first winning season as a starting quarterback which is quite shocking. It might not of been his team if it wasn’t for Geno Smith getting his jaw broken in a incident with another teammate during training camp.

Fitzpatrick was the best quarterback the Jets had in a long time but I think he is going to even struggle more next season with the teams they are playing. The defenses they will be facing next season are Seattle, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Kansas City as these five defenses were playoff teams this year that will be all over him if he makes mental mistakes.

Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Also, they are young and very fast and with the offensive line being older, it will be even more difficult for Fitzpatrick to make plays. From what I have seen the free agents that are available this off-season, there isn’t really much out there. Fitzpatrick will be the only person who to trust but I would put him on a short leash if he is still making mistakes.

I wouldn’t guarantee him the starting position as I would let him compete with Smith and Bryce Petty to see who is the best athlete come training camp. Even though Petty was developing in his first year on the sidelines, I have a funny feeling he’ll be coming to training camp and surprising many people.

Fitzpatrick has done an incredible job with what he did with this team last season in making them a playoff contender. He had his ups and downs during the year as any other quarterback but I think it is time to part ways.

He is getting older and his performance is very shaky which makes me question his mentality as a player. He has not established himself with a team throughout his whole career since he has bounced around the league.

When you find out about his career, you wonder why he can’t stay with one team. It will be interesting to see if both sides can work out a deal to bring him back because of the chemistry he built with the offense. Like I said earlier, it’s hard to believe he will have another monster season like he did in 2015 but there is no guarantee that’ll be the case.

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He was shaky at times and is very careless with the football when he runs with it as he needs to learn how to protect himself because a lot of the hits he suffered could have been severe. They should also part ways since he’s more of a short-term option than anything.

It will be interesting to see if he’ll return and even if he can replicate even bigger results. Don’t get me wrong, he had a historic season with the Jets but to expect him to do it again might be a bit unrealistic.

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