FitzMagic is headed to the nation’s capital.
Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Washington Football Team, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal reportedly contains $2 million in incentives.
Fitzpatrick will join a Washington quarterback depth chart that includes past starters Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen. Schefter reports that Fitzpatrick is expected to report to training camp as D.C.’s starter.
Former Dolphins’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick reached agreement with the Washington Football Team on a one-year deal worth $10 million that could grow to $12 million with incentives, per source. Fitzpatrick is expected to head to camp as the starter, with competition from Taylor Heinicke.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2021
The 38-year-old veteran is coming off a season with the Miami Dolphins in which he posted 2,091 passing yards with 13 touchdowns, 8 interceptions and a 68.3 percent completion rating in nine games (seven starts). After opening the season as the starter in Miami, Fitzpatrick ceded the top job to first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa.
Fitzpatrick reportedly considered retirement this offseason, but now he joins a Washington team in an unusual place at the quarterback position.
Murky Washington QB room gets some clarity
Fitzpatrick has spent the second half of his career as a competent veteran that teams can turn to as they transition between franchise quarterbacks. The same situation will likely play out in D.C., which had one of the most chaotic quarterback room in football.
Washington spent the 2020 regular season cycling through the likes of Allen, former first-round pick Dwayne Haskins and Comeback Player of the Year Alex Smith. Haskins opened as the starter before falling out of favor with the coaching staff for various reasons. Then Allen took over for a few games before hitting injured reserve, followed by Smith completing his return to the field. Haskins got one more chance before exiting D.C. for good while Smith recovered from an injury.
With Smith out for the wild-card round of the playoffs, Washington turned to Heinicke, who impressed in a loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That performance was enough to earn Heinicke a two-year extension last month.
Heinicke figured to be the favorite to open next season as the starter, but now it appears Fitzpatrick will take the reins under head coach Ron Rivera. Washington isn’t quite in a position to draft a franchise quarterback this year thanks to their playoff trip (they currently sit at No. 19), so it appears a year of riding things out with Fitzpatrick is the plan for now.
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