Ever since Ryan Fitzpatrick became a free agent earlier this year, he has been pretty quiet regarding what he wants to do in the upcoming season. But recently, the quarterback finally broke his silence and said he would like to return to the New York Jets.
Fitzpatrick joined the New York NFL franchise in March of 2015 through trade between the Jets and the Houston Texans. During his year with the team, he was able to complete 335 passes for 3,905 yards.
Right now, however, Fitzpatrick doesn't have a team but during a recent interview with SiriusXM NFL radio, the athlete confidently said that he will play next season. He also noted that he prefers to continue playing for the Jets this year.
"It was probably my best season last year regarding how much fun I had with the guys, out there every Sunday," he said according to ESPN. "It's something I still really enjoy doing, it's something I want to continue to do."
Of course, if things are as simple as they seem, then the Jets would immediately offer Fitzpatrick a new contract and agree to pay him as a starter. However, the reason why he became a free agent in the first place was due to the failed negotiations regarding his contract.
As noted by various sources, the New York team had already agreed to offer him an $8 million contract, but Fitzpatrick refused because it's reportedly far below his asking value. In turn, the Jets turned to Geno Smith as the team's starter, followed by Bryce Petty.
Despite this, the Jets has not yet officially ended its negotiations with Fitzpatrick. This means there's still a big chance these two parties could work out an agreeable deal which would put the athlete in the starter position.
Willie Colon, a free agent and the Jets' former offensive guard, expressed his support for Fitzpatrick and said that the Jets should learn how to appreciate him as its quarterback.
"You're talking about someone who's invested," he said. "He's not just playing quarterback, he's living it, he's waking up to it, he's eating it."
"If the Jets don't understand that we haven't had that in a long time, then we need to kind of re-evaluate what we're doing here," he added. "He's everything."
