Ryan Fitzpatrick reportedly retiring after 17 seasons

After stopping in nine cities over 17 seasons, the “FitzMagic” tour is coming to an end.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is reportedly retiring from the NFL. The veteran quarterback disseminated the news to former teammates, with former Bills running back Fred Jackson first disclosing it on Twitter.

“Forever grateful for the magical ride” the 39-year-old Fitzpatrick wrote in a text. 

It quietly began with the Rams in 2005 as a seventh-round pick from Harvard, and startlingly carried on for nearly two decades throughout the league. 

His career gained traction in Cincinnati and took off in Buffalo, where he became a full-time starter and earned his “FitzMagic” moniker. The four-year tenure would prove to be his longest and wildest, as Fitzpatrick’s uneven play led to four last-place finishes in the AFC East and his 2013 release. 

Following one-year stints with the Titans and Texans, he was traded to the Jets and had his best season. New York went 10-6 in 2015 and narrowly missed the playoffs, while Fitzpatrick recorded career highs in passing yards (3,905) and touchdowns (31). After failing to replicate that success the following year, he spent the next four seasons in Florida as a bridge starter for the Buccaneers and Dolphins.

In 2021, Washington signed Fitzpatrick to be its QB1, marking the sixth different division he’d play in. But his campaign was cut short after he suffered a season-ending hip subluxation in the opener. 

Fitzpatrick retires with several franchise and NFL records, some distinguished and some dubious. His four 400-yard passing games in 2018 are tied with Peyton Manning and Dan Marino for the most in a single season. Fitzpatrick has the most career passing yards (34,990) and passing touchdowns (223) of anyone drafted in the seventh round or later and for a QB without a playoff appearance. He’s the only player to throw a touchdown against one opponent (Eagles) while playing for seven different teams.

Of course, he’s also the lone QB to start for nine franchises.

The bearded gunslinger might be back on television soon enough. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Fitzpatrick is in negotiations with Prime Video for a role in Amazon’s NFL coverage in 2022.