Fitzmagic Retires
Ryan Fitzpatrick was a great meme. He wasn’t a great player, but he was an entertaining one. I’m sad to see him go. The league needs a guy like him around.
He might have a claim to the best backup QB in history. Not for his skill or play, he’s far worse than other options (I love you Jeff Hostetler), but in sheer memorability. Can you really think of a more memorable backup QB? Part of this is probably recency bias, but the guy had his own nicknames (Fitzmagic and Fitztragic) despite never being on a team longer than two years (except the Bills, with 4 seasons) and never touching a playoff game.
That’s the stat that really gets me. Fitz played 17 seasons as a pro. 17 years. He never once appeared in a playoff game. Not even as a backup to someone better he’d eventually replace. Fitz never set foot on a football field after week 17. The closest he came was 2015 with the Jets at 10-6, but they just missed the dance partially due to him going full Fitztagic at the end of the year. It was almost as if he dedicated himself to keeping his own sad streak intact.
Fitz always seemed like a pretty cool guy. One of the strange things about him is that I’m not sure if he could sign with any team for a one-day contract after 17 years. Does any fanbase think of Fitz as “theirs”, the way Denver would claim someone like Von Miller despite going and winning elsewhere? Or how Frank Gore is going to be a 49er forever? The Bills are the only team that might have some emotional claim over Fitz since he was there the longest. Fitz never led the Bills out of the basement though.
Personally, I think the best thing he could do would be to sign a one-day contract with every team he hasn’t yet played for and then retire. He picks his final spot, and it can be a new team or one of his 9 previous teams. He’s made a career out of swindling general managers out of millions for no benefit, I wonder how much he could get if he tried to meme himself out one last time for the yucks.
Don’t forget he ended the Patriots dynasty and had the Braille Mary for Miami. 2nd best post-Marino Fins QB
Also, my middle name is Harvard
A lot of teams get credit for “ending the Patriots dynasty”, but I’m not sure I recall how Fitz did it? (Also, c’mon man, they were in the playoffs during the most recent season and were the #1 seed for several weeks. It’s not winning a championship, but it’s not like they’re in shambles)
In 2019, Fitz led a garbage Miami team to a shocking Week 17 upset, which meant that the Patriots were denied a first round bye (and were then knocked out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round). It ended the “we’re the inevitable AFC Champions” dynasty.
He deserves HoF just for that one game, I laughed for days about it.
Firtz always had the vibe of someone who knew that someday someone would realize he’s not supposed to be there and kick him out so he’s determined to squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of football so long as he’s there. The ultimate just happy to be here player.
It’s quite obvious: He signs a one day contract with _every_ team he hasn’t yet played for.
Still wish he had signed with the Patriots in 2020 just so he could say that he’s won a game with every team in a single division. Pretty sure no one else has pulled that off unless Josh McCown did it since he’s also played for like 25 different teams.
McCown has only been on 10 rosters.. But more amazingly, he has been on a roster in every division
I was exaggerating when I said 25 but honest to God I genuinely thought he played for way more than just 10 teams.
Bills fans absolutely claim Fitz. While he never got us to the playoffs, he was part of a trio with the 7th round WR Stevie Johnson and undrafted Fred Jackson to put together stretches of really entertaining play during a stretch where there wasn’t a lot to be excited about. They were the reject heap, and Bills fans knew what that felt like. All three are still beloved.
And if anyone wants to fight that claim, Fitz came to watch the Patriots vs Bills playoff game and went shirtless in single digit weather. And it was glorious.
Fitz and crew were also the first Bills team to beat the Patriots after 8 straight years of losses.
Slight problem. He had no beard with the Bengals. It is all weird, wrong, and scary. With the TV blackouts stopping games from airing, I’m not entirely convinced it even existed despite all the tangible evidence like pictures and videos.
https://www.newskudo.com/ohio/cincinnati/sports/11271515-bengals-news-former-cincy-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick-retires-after-17-years
I’m convinced that if we had bearded Ryan Fitzpatrick, he would’ve did far better than 4-7-1, usurped Carson Palmer as starter, and Andy Dalton wouldn’t be needed to be drafted in 2011.
https://www.newskudo.com/ohio/cincinnati/sports/11271515-bengals-news-former-cincy-qb-ryan-fitzpatrick-retires-after-17-years
Sorry for the double links.
Fifth-winningest QB in Houston Texans history. Second in QB rating too.
He threw for 6 Tds in his Debut after Mallet got benched; was Better than any of the QBS Bill O’brien brought in.
Before Deshaun of Course
I’m gonna miss him, he was always fun to watch. You never knew what to expect. His retirement really makes me feel old too which has this hitting me extra hard
“He might have a claim to the best backup QB in history.”
Dave, that tapping you feel on your shoulder is from Nick Foles …….. and not from his hand.
he finished his career with more passing TDs than Terry Bradshaw, Kurt Warner, Bobby Layne, Ken Stabler, Bob Griese, Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham, Joe Namath, Norm Van Brocklin, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, and Bart Starr
Once and for all proving that previous eras of football sucked ass
Kurt Warner- Started his career off late; If he had not he would have had more passing touchdowns than him.
Terry Bradshaw, Troy Aikman, and Bart Starr -Weren’t great in the Regular season; but dominated in the postseason; All of them also had played in Smashmouth Type offenses.
Ken Stabler, Bob Griese- Both Qbs were game managers…but didn’t make many mistakes
Sammy Baugh- Played multiple positions, Led the League in Interceptions, passing Yards, and punting yards one Time. Also League was Almost completely DIfferent in that Era
Otto Graham- Played in 10 straight Championships
Roger Staubach- The Greatest Qb in his Era; Had way less Interceptions and has a 65 percent completion percentage despite rules that used to favor defense
Joe Namath- Most Overrated player in History
Van Brocklin-Led the Rams to the best PPG in NFL history in 1950
I don’t know what you mean by sucked ass, but I would take most Qbs on that list than Fitzpatrick anyday
I fully agree with Pessmistic Texans Fan. What “sucked ass” in the previous eras? The players? The rules? Not giving out passing yards and touchdowns like pez dispensers for the action-needy fans of today? Comparing any modern player to previous eras is completely fruitless. Plus, we’re in a new era now, the 17-game season. Having only thrown 6 attempts last year, Fitz belongs to the previous era, himself… the 16-game season.
Why is my comment inviting serious discussion? Where did I go wrong?
You didn’t go “wrong”, at least not from my perspective. You just dropped a comment without explanation, and now I’m legit curious what you think sucked about previous eras. The comparison, I think, is fruitless, but the discussion behind it isn’t.
it was a joke…
FItzpatrick is going to be the source of a lot of football trivia questions for the end of time. I’m happy to be alive during his reign so I can overcompensate his abilities while playing trivial pursuit with my grandkids. “Yup, I remember Ryan Fitzpatrick, very underrated, could toss a hell of a ball. Sharp as a tack, too. Did you know he went to Harvard?”
Look. Give the man credit – he was a stalwart journeyman professional who leveraged his talent far more than many others have. The NFL is full of Slytherins, Ravenclaws, and more than a few Gryffindors, but NFL Hufflepuff QBs are rare, and Fitz was among the best of them.
“Did you know Fitzpatrick went to Harvard?” = “Did you know Antonio Gates played basketball in college?”
Maybe there should be a word for these little known (but yet all too well known) facts that people like to trot out and beat to death.
So who takes over running the Great Rock’n’Roll Swindle on the NFL now?
FITZ HAD SWAAAAAAG.
that is all.