Joe Namath and Bart Scott Both Think Ryan Fitzpatrick Should Re-Sign With the Jets

A pair of former Jets said this week that quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick should lower his demands and return to the Jets.

Joe Namath

“A quarterback wants to have a good team and the Jets have a good team, so I think it behooves [Fitzpatrick] to re-sign with the Jets,” the Hall of Fame quarterback said Tuesday at the BTIG Charity Day event in New York. “Fitz fits in here, and the team likes him. I would hope he’d be back. I know the team wants him back.”

Bart Scott

“Fitz don’t have a leg to stand on, man. He is who he is… On another 20 teams in the league, he would be a backup. The only teams that he would start for are the teams that have bad quarterback situations. He’s a bridge guy, a glue guy.

OK, he wants $15 [million] because [Brock] Osweiler. But he hasn’t reached his ceiling yet. They’re paying for his potential, what he might be able to become. It’s all downhill right now for Fitz…

I do not think you can begrudge a guy near the end of his career for trying to get as much money as he can. Ultimately, you can only get as much as somebody is offering, though. Fitzpatrick has nowhere else to go. No other team will make him a starter. There are no reports of any other team even making him an offer. If he wants to continue his career, the Jets are his best option. There is no great urgency. He knows the offense. It probably would not be a big deal if he missed the offseason program. It just would be nice for the Jets to have some clarity at the quarterback position.