Fitzpatrick wants to keep playing: Last 2 seasons 'really re-lit that fire'
Ryan Fitzpatrick is entering his 17th NFL season and will soon be an unrestricted free agent, but the veteran quarterback isn't contemplating hanging up his cleats just yet.
"This offseason - we already saw it with (Jared) Goff and (Matthew) Stafford, obviously, who knows what's going to happen with Deshaun (Watson) - there's rumors everywhere in the quarterback market, but there are a lot of teams that are looking for a new quarterback or quarterbacks," Fitzpatrick told "The Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday.
"So, for me, personally, I have to take every offseason now and just reassess. And I know these last two years have really re-lit that fire under me, and I still want to play, and I enjoy being out there playing."
Fitzpatrick started in seven games and appeared in two others for the Miami Dolphins in 2020, splitting time with Tua Tagovailoa. The journeyman signal-caller went 4-3 as a starter and helped Miami beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16 after coming in for the struggling rookie.
Fitzpatrick finished the season with a career-high 68.5% completion percentage, throwing for 2,091 yards and 13 touchdowns against eight interceptions.
With the NFL looking set for a dramatic quarterback carousel this offseason, the 38-year-old should garner interest as a high-end backup or as a stopgap option alongside a first-year passer.
"Things are a little bit more complicated for me now with my oldest going into high school and six little ones trailing behind him," Fitzpatrick said. "So there's a lot of thought that has to go into this thing, but I still love playing the game."
If Fitzpatrick does continue his career, he could potentially extend his quarterback record of playing for eight NFL teams. Originally selected by the then-St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, he's previously suited up for the Rams, Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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