There’s not much of substance at the quarterback position in free agency.
But one of the best options there seems destined to hit the market Wednesday.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick are “far apart on a potential deal,” leading to a belief he’d hit the market.
Previously, all indications were that the Jets wanted to bring him back and that he wanted to stay. But with Sam Bradford getting an $18 million average on a two-year deal and Kirk Cousins getting franchise-tagged for $19.9 million, it’s likely raised expectations for the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick.
And it should.
When the top options in free agency are Brock Osweiler or Chase Daniel, Fitzpatrick represents a solid, safe alternative to the unknowns.
But if the Jets don’t keep him, they’ll find themselves squarely in the market, since they’re not going to go into a season trusting Geno Smith.
And with the beginning of the legal tampering period in a few hours, it doesn’t hurt to rattle a few sabers, as part of the natural process of negotiations.