Ryan Fitzpatrick Deal a Win-Win for New York Jets and the Veteran QB

One of the final loose ends of the NFL offseason was finally tied up this week, with the New York Jets and estranged quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick coming to terms on a one-year, $12 million deal on Wednesday evening, just one day before the team came together to begin training camp. Fitzpatrick had been a free agent since April, and while it was considered an inevitability that the quarterback and the Jets would come to an agreement allowing him to return to the team, the degree to which this process was dragged out was unexpected.

As of late May, the two sides were reportedly as much as $5 million apart on a new deal, and in June Fitzpatrick altered his request to the one-year deal he ultimately received, though the Jets were at first hesitant to give him even that. In the interim, Fitzpatrick's teammates, particularly receiver Brandon Marshall, repeatedly spoke out about the desire for the veteran quarterback to return for his second season. Without Fitzpatrick as the starter, the Jets would have had to turn back to Geno Smith, the team's 2013 second-round draft pick who served as the team's primary starter as a rookie and in 2014.

Though this is Fitzpatrick's sixth team since being drafted by the then St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams in 2005 and though he will be 34 years old in November, his best season came in 2015. With the aid of Marshall and Eric Decker—the league's top receiving tandem on the year, both surpassing 1,000 receiving yards—Fitzpatrick had one of the best seasons of his career. His 3,905 passing yards were a personal best, and he threw 31 touchdowns to 15 interceptions while being sacked just 19 times.

In 2014, for comparison, Smith threw 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. Though the Jets were comfortable with Smith serving as starter if no agreement could be made with Fitzpatrick, it's clear who gives the Jets a better chance to win games, especially given that with Fitzpatrick under center a year ago the Jets were just shy of a playoff berth. Their AFC East rival New England Patriots will be without starting quarterback Tom Brady for the first four games of the season, and Fitzpatrick's veteran leadership and the trust he has built with his teammates could make a significant difference in the divisional standings at season's close. With Smith, that potential becomes more murky—so much so that Fitzpatrick's return puts him in a roster battle with fellow backup quarterback Bryce Petty (the Jets drafted another quarterback, Christian Hackenberg, in the second round this year).

The deal is a win-win for all parties involved. Fitzpatrick has the payday he was after all along, while the Jets don't have to worry about overpaying an older quarterback for the long-term. Fitzpatrick's strong showing in 2015 has just as much a chance of being a fluke as it is the quarterback finally being in the situation that best suits him. Settling for Smith may have been an acceptable alternative for the Jets this year, but it wasn't the preferable solution. Now, with training camp finally underway, Fitzpatrick returns to hold the starting job, giving the Jets their best chance to contend in 2016.