The Facts: Following up on a previous item. ... Fitzpatrick officially is a free agent. Again. The contract the quarterback signed with the Jets last July was voided Friday, making him eligible to hit the free-agent market March 9.
Diehards Line:Fitzpatrick, who turned 34 in November, technically signed a two-year contract after a five-month holdout last offseason. But the deal contained language that allowed the Jets to void the deal five days after Super Bowl LI, essentially making it a one-year, $12-million contract. As part of his deal, Fitzpatrick’s $10-million signing bonus was spread over two years. As a result, he’ll count for $5 million in “dead money” against the salary cap. Remember, Fitzpatrick got benched twice but regained his job both times because Geno Smith suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first start and Bryce Petty took a beating in four starts before suffering a left shoulder injury that required surgery. Smith is an unrestricted free agent and as the Sports Xchange recently noted, Petty has tons of moxie but a backup's skill. Christian Hackenberg looked awful in the preseason and didn't play a snap in the regular season. Suffice to say, the 2017 starter has yet to enter the building.