Free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is ready to end his prolonged contract staredown with the Jets and accept a one-year deal worth $12 million, the New York Daily News reported Wednesday night.
Maybe it’s that easy, or maybe this messy situation drags on.
Based on what’s been previously reported, leaked and endlessly discussed, the Jets want Fitzpatrick to take a deal that pays him around $12 million in 2016 but shrinks in the years that follow. Fitzpatrick hasn’t taken that deal, but he seems to be out of options elsewhere.
A one-year compromise works for Fitzpatrick. Will it work for the Jets?
Getting Fitzpatrick into camp now would be good for morale and all that supposedly matters in June. But his contract situation would linger through the season, regardless of whether he matches or even surpasses last year’s success. It’s clear the Jets don’t see him as a true franchise quarterback who commands those really big checks. The Daily News report included what’s fairly obvious, that the negotiations include “no new numbers” from the team’s side.
In a one-year situation, Fitzpatrick bets on himself. The Jets still want a little more security, even if they aren’t totally sold. The negotiating probably continues, though an offer to just end this thing might end up appealing to both sides.