NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick set to retire after 17 seasons
Ryan Fitzpatrick, one of the NFL’s most charismatic quarterbacks whose standout play was sometimes defined by his nickname, FitzMagic, is retiring after 17 seasons.
Fitzpatrick sent text messages to former teammates on Thursday, including former Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson, who shared his message from the quarterback on social media.
“Forever grateful for the magical ride,” Fitzpatrick wrote to Jackson, along with a photo including names of many other teammates he played with during his career, which saw him play for nine teams.
Fitzpatrick, a seventh-round pick out of Harvard by the St. Louis Rams in 2005, will be fondly remembered for his luscious dark blonde beard (which reached far past his helmet chinstrap), while his witty personality and fun-loving nature galvanized teammates and fans.
Fitzpatrick played two seasons with the Rams (2005-06) and two with the Cincinnati Bengals (2007-08) before his run as a four-year starter with the Buffalo Bills (2009-13). He spent a season each with the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans before a two-year stint with the New York Jets.
In his final five seasons, Fitzpatrick fought for playing time as a starter while nurturing quarterbacks like Jameis Winston in two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017-18) and Tua Tagovailoa in two seasons with the Miami Dolphins (2019-20). His final season, competing with Taylor Heinicke in Washington, was cut short after just one game due to a season-ending hip injury.
Fitzpatrick’s career took on new life when he threw for more than 400 yards and at least three touchdowns in three straight games to start the 2018 season. After the second game, when Fitzpatrick threw four touchdowns, he conducted his postgame news conference wearing teammate DeSean Jackson’s jewelry and black jacket, opened just enough to expose his hairy chest.
Another memorable moment came off the bench for the Dolphins on the road in Las Vegas, where a Raiders player nearly ripped Fitzpatrick’s head off by the facemask, only to see the quarterback complete a 34-yard pass down the left sideline to set up a game-winning field goal.
Fitzpatrick’s NFL career ends with 34,990 passing yards and 223 passing touchdowns in 166 games played.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Fitzpatrick, longtime NFL QB, will retire after 17 seasons
