The Facts: Now that the Jets have violated the sanctity of their contract negotiations with Fitzpatrick by spilling the beans to every member of the working press on this continent, the truth remains inescapable: They're still low-balling the veteran quarterback. As a result, Jets sources, including players, now believe that Fitzpatrick is amenable to spurning them on principle and taking less money to play elsewhere. They no longer think that Fitzpatrick's return is a fait accompli.

Diehards Line: According to Daily News staffer Manish Mehta, the news that the Jets have offered a 3-year, $24 million deal, including $12 million in 2016 (plus incentives that could push the max value to $36 million), isn't all that impressive. In fact, it’s still a below-market proposal for a quarterback coming off a 3,905-yard, 31-touchdown, 10-win season. Expect the public portion of these negotiations to ramp up in pace and likely in contentiousness as training camp draws nearer.