The Facts: Fitzpatrick is planning to be the Dolphins 2019 starting quarterback, and that opportunity to start was enough for him to pick a rebuilding team over other situations with comparable money. "The way that I view this is there's 32 of these starting gigs in the NFL, and this is one of them. The opportunity to be one of those 32 guys is an amazing privilege and honor," Fitzpatrick said. "When they approached me about signing on, I was so excited about the chance to get on the field and play."
Diehards Line:
The Dolphins were the last NFL team with a clear starting gig available after they traded Ryan Tannehill to Tennessee and free agent Teddy Bridgewater chose to return to New Orleans over an offer from Miami last week. Fitzpatrick's other opportunities, he said, were with teams with "penciled-in starters." Fitzpatrick, 36, knows he's on the back end of his career, and that's what makes this opportunity even sweeter. The idea of the Dolphins rebuilding didn't seem to bother him, and he said he had several conversations with the Dolphins about the fluidity of their quarterback situation. Fitzpatrick didn't seem to be phased by the possibility that the Dolphins selecting a quarterback high in the 2019 draft could jeopardize his starting job. ... Remember: In 2018, Fitzpatrick became the first QB in NFL history to throw for 400-plus yards in the first three games of a season. He finished the season completing 67 percent of his passes for 2,366 yards, 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in eight games (seven starts). He's a gunslinger -- evident by his NFL-best 9.6 yards per attempt last season -- with a history of being hot and cold throughout a season and even within games.