[ad_1]
Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has struck a deal with the Washington football team on a one-year, $ 10 million contract that could grow to $ 12 million with incentives, a source to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Fitzpatrick is expected to travel to camp as a starter, the source said, with competition from Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen.
Washington knew he would struggle to add a long-term solution to the quarterback this offseason, but also knows he can fight for another NFC East title. Fitzpatrick provides the team with someone who can play at a solid level for a less expensive contract, allowing WFT to build up the rest of their roster on offense.
Washington needed to add more assist to the receiver – one of their main goals this offseason – and especially wanted to add more speed to position.
Fitzpatrick would be the organization’s 32nd starting quarterback since winning the Super Bowl after the 1991 season. Washington started three quarters last season: Allen, Dwayne Haskins and Alex Smith. He released Haskins before the end of the season and earlier this month he dropped Smith.
Fitzpatrick, 38, is entering his 17th season in the NFL. He’s the only quarterback in NFL history to start and throw touchdowns with eight different teams. Now he will have a chance to do it for a ninth.
Fitzpatrick is the ultimate companion, and he enjoys the role – especially in the last two seasons he was the starter for the Miami Dolphins. Despite being year after year at this point in his career, Fitzpatrick told ESPN in February that it was a “very easy” decision to return to play in 2021.
He played a huge role in guiding the Dolphins from a rebuilding team to one of the best stories in the NFL of 2020, as Miami jumped five wins to a 10-6 record. In 2019, Fitzpatrick beat Josh Rosen in open competition to become the Dolphins starter for a 5-11 season where many considered the team to be tanked from the start. In 2020, Fitzpatrick began the season again as a starter as a self-proclaimed “placeholder” and mentor to rookie Tua Tagovailoa.
Fitzpatrick started seven games in 2020, completing 68.5% of his passes and throwing 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also had a 76.9 QBR and was the clear leader of the Dolphins.
In true Fitzpatrick style, his last moment with the Dolphins was coming off the bench and leading the team to a comeback victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. He tested positive for COVID-19 days later, making him ineligible for the season-ending loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Fitzpatrick is ranked 10th among active quarterbacks with 34,977 passing yards and 223 touchdowns with 169 interceptions during his career.
Information from ESPN’s John Keim and Cameron Wolfe was used in this report.
[ad_2]
Source link