The Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick engaged in an extended contract dance this offseason before Fitzpatrick finally agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal shortly before the start of training camp.
That allowed the Jets to keep the same starting quarterback who set a franchise record for touchdown passes that they had on their way to a 10-6 record last season, but the results haven’t been anywhere close to as good this time around. The Jets are 3-7 and Fitzpatrick was benched in favor of Geno Smith after a flurry of interceptions early in the season.
Fitzpatrick returned after Smith tore his ACL, but was out again last week after a knee injury of his own and the team is mulling a permanent switch to Bryce Petty after their bye week. None of that has led to regrets about the deal from General Manager Mike Maccagnan.
“I have no regrets about bringing Ryan back,” Maccagnan said, via NJ.com. “I think going into it, we felt very good about the season Ryan had previously. I have no regrets from that standpoint. Of course, I think everybody, and Ryan included, would probably say he holds himself to a fairly high standard. I’m sure there are aspects that he would like to ... we all would like to have better success on the field as a team. But from the standpoint of bringing Ryan back, no, I don’t have regrets on that.”
Given that the team didn’t pursue any other starting options over the offseason and had Smith, Petty and Christian Hackenberg at quarterback before Fitzpatrick’s return, the lack of regret is easy to understand. At this point in the year, though, the only regret the Jets should really be concerned about is not getting enough of a look at Petty to know if he has a future with the team.
Maccagnan called that a “complicated decision” because of how it affects others on the team, but it won’t be one he regrets either because he said coach Todd Bowles will be making it.