Dolphins' Fitzpatrick heartbroken over benching: 'I felt it was my team'

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't see the Miami Dolphins' decision to bench him for Tua Tagovailoa coming.

"I was shocked by it. It definitely caught me off guard," the veteran signal-caller said, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. "It was a hard thing for me to hear yesterday, just digesting the news. My heart just hurt all day."

Though Fitzpatrick completed over 70% of his passes and led Miami to a 3-3 record through the first six weeks of the season, head coach Brian Flores this week tabbed first-round rookie Tagovailoa as the starter moving forward, calling the decision "the best thing for the team."

"I've been a starter, I've been benched all kinds of different ways," said Fitzpatrick, who's played for eight different teams over his 16-season NFL career. He added: "But this was kind of the first place other than Buffalo that I've been fully committed and invested. I felt it was my team."

Tagovailoa said he was happy to hear the news but "definitely felt for Fitz."

Fitzpatrick, 37, is now uncertain what the future holds for him.

"Is this it? Was that my last game in the NFL, being a starter?" he said, according to Hal Habib of The Palm Beach Post.

Fitzpatrick has started 145 NFL games and is one of the most iconic journeymen in the league, ranking 31st all time in passing yards (34,421) and 34th in touchdowns (220).

He's posted an 8-11 record with the Dolphins over the last two seasons while throwing 30 touchdowns against 20 interceptions.

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