Chatelain: Ugly Fitzpatrick Negotiations Could Haunt Jets Later
By Ryan Chatelain
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Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan is trying to pinch every penny when it comes to re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, but is he prepared to pay the price later if the ugly negotiations have a ripple effect into the locker room?
Whether or not Fitzpatrick is back with the Jets next season, the way he's been manhandled in these contract talks could prove to be a potential powder keg for the organization.
It's clear Fitzpatrick has left quite an impression on his teammates. He's been seen palling around with Nick Mangold and Eric Decker at a Rangers game. Decker and Brandon Marshall recorded a video for him during an offseason workout. And Marshall has been pretending his daughter's toy bears are Fitzpatrick and himself.
If talks between the Jets and the 33-year-old quarterback ultimately fall apart and he's not back, could the players get used to another signal-caller? Most likely. But you'd also better believe that on a team that senses it's close to a major breakthrough, if the Jets end up with a new QB who struggles and costs them games -- practically a given if a rookie or the likes of Brian Hoyer are under center -- the Fitzpatrick loyalists will quickly cast the blame on Maccagnan for not doing enough to keep their preferred guy.
But even if Fitzpatrick caves and returns to play for the insulting offer he's been given -- reportedly about $7 million a year -- the Jets' front office shouldn't consider it a victory. There could be hurt feelings and a grudge that comes back to haunt them.
In pro sports, dollars equal respect, and Fitzpatrick must feel like he's not seeing enough of either.
If you think all NFL players can easily bury such feelings, think again. Brock Osweiler was partly motivated to spurn the Broncos this offseason because he was steamed about getting benched last year. Despite a new coaching regime, Colin Kaepernick reportedly wants out of San Francisco for the same reason. The Carolina Panthers obviously believed last week they were better off severing ties with cornerback Josh Norman than forcing him to play under the franchise tag after he felt low-balled in long-term contract talks.
No, Fitzpatrick doesn't deserve to be paid $16 million to $18 million. But he deserves significantly more than $7 million, too. He might look at Osweiler's and Sam Bradford's $18 million-a-year contracts and think he's in their ballpark – and honestly, that's not a crazy argument whatsoever – but he has two things going against him: his age and a résumé that includes too many years of mediocre play.
But $7 million? Only two QBs who signed free agent deals to become presumptive starters currently make $7.5 million or less – Cleveland's Robert Griffin III and Josh McCown. (McCown signed his contract in 2015, Griffin this year.) Unlike Fitzpatrick, both were not wanted back by their previous teams. In other words, the Jets want to pay Fitzpatrick like a reject, not a valued contributor.
Heck, the Eagles signed Chase Daniel to a three-year, $21 million contract in March -- and he might very well end up as their third-string QB or higher, considering there are reports now that Bradford wants out of Philly.
Objectively speaking, Fitzpatrick probably warrants in the neighborhood of $10 million annually. But the reason he's still on the market is because there are only two teams potentially looking for a veteran QB -- the Jets and Broncos, and Denver has shown little interest in Fitzpatrick to date.
So the Jets, who are fighting to save the few dollars they have left under the salary cap, believe they have Fitzpatrick in a tight spot -- and they're right. But Maccagnan must not lose perspective that players are not just commodities, they're people. Some are capable of leaving a nasty negotiation in the past. Others might carry it with them for some time. We don't know which category Fitzpatrick falls into, and if he was given a fair offer from the start, we'd never have to wonder.
By all accounts, Fitzpatrick is a meticulous preparation warrior -- and that's by and large the biggest reason he's been able to parlay his limited physical skills into being a legitimate NFL starting quarterback. If all his hard work and the best statistical season by any Jets quarterback ever didn't earn him a big payday, maybe he'll wonder if all the relentless leg work -- the at-home film study, the late-night text messages to teammates to discuss the game plan -- is worth it.
Then, of course, there's still that lingering possibility -- the one Fitzpatrick has been hoping for -- that another team, most realistically Denver, will start burning up his agent's phone line. And if that happens, Fitzpatrick might be more willing to leave the Jets in the lurch even if the dollar figures are comparable.
Of course, that's a big "if." In the meantime, Fitzpatrick needs the Jets, the only team seemingly in the market for a QB like him.
But if they're truly in win-now mode, the Jets need Fitzpatrick, too. He's the only remotely reliable veteran quarterback available, has proven he fits in well in Florham Park and already commands the respect of his teammates.
He just clearly doesn't command the same respect from the front office. Go figure.
Follow Ryan on Twitter at @RyanChatelain
