Ryan Fitzpatrick’s ninth stop in the NFL lets him land with the Washington Football Team. According to Adam Schefter from ESPN, Fitzpatrick reached an agreement with the club on Monday night. The contract is worth $ 10 million, but can grow to $ 12 million if the travel partner receives specific incentives. Schefter adds that Fitzpatrick is expected to enter the camp as Washington’s starter with Taylor Heinicke who will also compete for the performances. Jason La Canfora, a CFL insider, said Washington was also explore other options by QB.
Fitzpatrick begins 2020 as the starter for the Dolphins, while the organization slowly brings together first-round rookie Tua Tagovailoa. Outside the gate, the 38-year-old played well and completed 70% of his passes during the first six weeks, while averaging 255.8 yards to pass along with 10 touches and seven distinctions. At this point, Miami passed 3-3, but this week won 7 winners of two consecutive games. It was at that point in the season, when head coach Brian Flores chose to call Tagovailoa the frontrunner for the rest of the season, a decision that did catch Fitzpatrick off guard.
From that point on, Fitzpatrick served largely as a late-game option for the Dolphins, as Flores would exert himself to win a game and send Tagovailoa to the bench. The veteran got another start last season (Week 12 against the Jets) and he impressed again. In the 20-3 win over New York, Fitzpatrick completed 61.5% of his passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns.
If Fitzpatrick can maintain that level of play during the upcoming season in Washington, Ron Rivera’s club could be a force to be reckoned with in the NFC East, as long as their defense continues to provide elite production. After all, Washington was still able to win the division last season, as they started three different backs (Alex Smith, Dwayne Haskins and Kyle Allen) during the regular season. There is no mention even of Heinicke, who made an impression during his start in Washington’s lone playoff game. Against eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, Heinicke threw for 306 yards, throwing a total of two touchdowns and an interception.
This action opened the door for the 28-year-old to sign an extension with the team earlier this season, but it currently looks like he will have to knock out Fitzpatrick if he wants to get under center again. As for Fitzpatrick, Washington offers an interesting opportunity to not only start in the NFL again, but also the first season in the 17th year of his career.