ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It’s become an ominous joke… “The Fitzpatrick Curse.”
In short, there’s a feeling that Ryan Fitzpatrick, the poster boy for “NFL journeyman quarterback,” once he signs with a team, it will have circumstances push him into the starting job.
Undrafted coming out of Harvard in 2005, Fitzpatrick signed with the then-St. Louis Rams and, in Game 11 starting QB Marc Bulger went on injured reserve and, the next game, backup Jamie Martin was hurt. Thus, as a rookie, Fitz started three games.
His next stop was Cincinnati in 2008 and when starter Carson Palmer was lost for the season, Fitzpatrick finished out the schedule with 12 starts.
Then came Buffalo in 2009 when Fitz was signed to mentor and backup Trent Edwards. But the starter was benched in Game 10 and Fitzpatrick started the rest of the way and went on to a 4-year career with the Bills, the last two as the starter in a pair of 6-10 seasons.
He signed with Tennessee in 2013, after Buffalo waived him, and four games into the campaign, starter Jake Locker was hurt and, again, “Fitz” took over and finished the campaign.
A year later, his only one in Houston, Fitzpatrick started eight games, going 4-4, with 17 touchdowns, eight interceptions with a career-best 95.3 passer rating, but it wasn’t enough to keep him with the Texans.
Next stop was the Jets where Geno Smith was the starter … until teammate IK Enempkpali broke his jaw with a punch.
Fitzpatrick defaulted into the starting job and led the Jets to a 10-6 record, throwing for over 3,905 yards with 31 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a solid passer rating.
But, needing a win in the season finale at Buffalo, he endured one of his worst games as a pro, going 16-of-37 passing with three interceptions in a 22-17 loss.
So, after eight appearances with three starts for New York in 2016, he was waived by the Jets and, this season signed with Tampa Bay.
And now, it appears the “Fitzpatrick Curse” might strike again.
Last Sunday, Bucs’ starter Jameis Winston left the game in Arizona with an injury to his throwing shoulder and “Fitz” took over, leading Tampa Bay to the second-most points it had ever scored in a half (33) and the most in a quarter (27). He threw for 290 yards with three TDs, two interceptions and a 99.0 passer rating as the Buccaneers dug out of a 31-0 hole before falling 38-33.
At this point in the week, it’s uncertain whether Winston will be healthy enough to play Sunday against the Bills at New Era Field or if Fitz will play against his former team for which he went 20-33 as a starter.
Predictably, the 34-year old Fitzpatrick, looking to start for his seventh NFL team, was the Buc player on Wednesday’s conference call from Tampa.
Asked about the “Fitzpatrick Curse,” he admitted he hears about it, “Moreso now than a few years ago. I think it’s starting to be written about a little bit more and guys are starting to be aware of it and joking around and prodding me about it.
“It’s just something that’s been crazy over my career. I’ve had a lot of opportunities whether through injury or weird circumstances. Hopefully it’s not true, but it sure seems to happen a lot.”
He recalled, “When Geno hurt his jaw, (the Curse) kind of came up a little bit, then last year (with the Jets) I got benched twice and both times the guys who came in for me got hurt right away and I went back in … (even) I started thinking about it a little bit.
“There have been so many highs and lows since getting released in Buffalo. I was thinking I’m going to be a backup for the rest of my career, then I went to Tennessee (and started) and went to Houston and started. Things work out different everywhere I go, but at this point, I felt like in Tampa, for me to try to help with some of the knowledge and experience that I’ve learned over the years, it would be a good spot.”
To maybe start again?
“It’s been a roller-coaster, constant belief in myself and having mental toughness to put bad things behind me but not patting myself on the back for some of the good things that have happened,” Fitzpatrick said. “ I’ve enjoyed every step of the way … my teammates and coaches. I try to enjoy each day and do the best I can. Sometimes it’s been enough, sometimes it hasn’t.
“Hopefully when it’s all said and done and I stop playing, no matter what fans think in the different cities I’ve been in, I would love to have my teammates and coaches respect the way I played the game.”
(Chuck Pollock, a Times Herald sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
