One of the NFL’s most well-traveled quarterbacks is calling it a career. A report by ESPN indicated that Ryan Fitzpatrick, who spent 17 seasons in the league as a member of nine different franchises, decided it was time to retire. Fitzpatrick found a unique way to announce his retirement, as he apparently texted his former teammates a list of the names alongside whom he played, and one of them — former Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson — posted it to Twitter.
Congrats on a Helluva career, Fitzy!! Loved sharing the field with you!! The gratitude is all mine!! #BillsMafia #fitzmagic pic.twitter.com/s7n4DsiLJ7
— Fred Jackson (@Fred22Jackson) June 2, 2022
Fitzpatrick, especially in his later years in the league, was known for being one of the NFL’s more unique and entertaining personalities, which might explain his apparent next step. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Fitzpatrick is in talks with Amazon to join their team ahead of the network becoming the home of Thursday Night Football next season.
As long-time QB Ryan Fitzpatrick calls it quits, sources say he’s in talks with Amazon for a key role this season. So we’ll be seeing plenty of Fitz going forward.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 2, 2022
While it is unclear what Fitzpatrick’s role would be, the network’s top broadcast duo for games will be Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit.
Fitzpatrick retires with 34,990 career passing yards and 223 career passing touchdowns. During his career, Fitzpatrick suited up for the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Football Team. He was limited to one game in what ended up being his final year in the league due to a hip injury he suffered in the season opener.