There are a couple of ways to look at the Miami Dolphins signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. One, they might be hoping to recapture some of that “Fitzmagic” and surprise the league next year. Or, they look at Fitzpatrick as a veteran presence for what’s shaping up to be a young, developmental-type team for 2019.
Miami has its new starting quarterback. Dolphins reached agreement on a two-year deal with former Buccaneers’ QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, per source. Fitzpatrick now will join his third AFC East team, having already started for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2019
The Dolphins made the decision a few days ago to move on from QB Ryan Tannehill. And they’ve also been relatively quiet in free agency. Combine that with letting the likes of Cameron Wake walk in free agency, and it’s reasonable to wonder what the ceiling is in Miami next season. Suffice it to say: the Dolphins might be looking to take an NBA-style tanking approach to next season and build around the young talent on the roster already and the next couple NFL drafts.
The 36-year-old Fitzpatrick has played for seven different teams so far in total, the Dolphins will be his eighth in his 15th season.
Tampa Bay started off hot last season and went 2-0 under Fitzpatrick, surprising the NFL universe. But ended up 2-5 in games which Fitzpatrick started.
Fitzpatrick has never been to the postseason. Though he did lead the New York Jets to a 10-6 record in 2015, they missed out on the playoffs by losing a tie-break to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In games in which he starts, his team(s) have an overall record of 50-75-1.
His 2015 Jets’ season was pretty clearly his best as a pro. He threw for 3,905 yards with 31 touchdowns against 15 interceptions with a 59.6 percent completion percentage.
For his career, he holds an 81.1 QB Rating with a 190-148 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The financial details of the contract are not known at this time.
