The added incentives, in the deal, could possibly push the deal to $15 million for Fitzpatrick. His new deal puts him 23rd among quarterbacks based off yearly salary. They have only $9.1 million in cap space, according to NFL Players Association records. Coach Todd Bowles stated from day one that if Fitzpatrick signed the deal, he would be the starter.
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While speaking with the media from training camp, Smith was open and honest about his feelings. Fitzpatrick set a franchise record with 31 touchdown passes past year while leading the Jets within a victory of a playoff spot.
Fitzpatrick essentially bet on himself to have another good year, and could potentially become a free agent after the season.
As the contract situation with Fitzpatrick dragged on this offseason, Smith moved closer to being the starter again.
He’s moved from place to place, team to team, but finally found something in NY.
The Jets and FItzpatrick had been at an impasse throughout the offseason, with the team eventually setting a deadline for yesterday for a contract to be agreed upon. The Jets, on the other hand, were unwilling to pay too much for a quarterback who can still be erratic and was helped out by two excellent wide receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker.
Marshall had been waiting outside the building while his quarterback was en route to 1 Jets Drive. The 3,905 passing yards he threw last season was also the 2nd-most in Jets history. Then, he headed out to the field and was greeted by the theme song to the 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter” blaring through the speakers lining the sideline. “I wasn’t the first pick overall in the draft”, said Fitzpatrick, a seventh-rounder by the Rams in 2005. Even though it is a challenging thing for him now, he can get a chance at any given point this season, but he must be focused and prepared.
Heading into his 12th National Football League season out of Harvard, Fitzpatrick previous year started every game in a season for just the third time in his career.
“I have talked to Fitz”, said Mangold, one of the quarterback’s best friends on the team. “So this camp is a little calmer than a year ago”. Forte, who signed with NY in March as a free agent, was impressed by what he saw during the offseason.
I mean, I have something to prove every year.
“Geno’s done an fantastic job developing as a man off the field, a leader and a teammate”, Jets’ wideout Brandon Marshall said to Connor Hughes of NJ.com. That was really important to me.
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“Everyone is going to watch and see how I react”. The Jets got him for a year to be a stopgap but haven’t committed to him to being a franchise guy.
