Report: Jets want Ryan Fitzpatrick back, are calling his bluff

The New York Jets have not yet signed Ryan Fitzpatrick to a contract extension, but that does not mean they are looking at other quarterback options for the 2016 season.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Monday that Fitzpatrick intends to test free agency since he has not made much progress in contract talks with the Jets. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News is convinced that Fitzpatrick’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, planted that report for obvious reasons.

According to Mehta, the Jets have made it clear “publicly and privately” that they want Fitzpatrick back. He believes they are confident the 33-year-old won’t leave a situation in which he is guaranteed a starting job.

Sexton smartly wants to maximize his client’s value. He almost certainly has positioned Fitzpatrick as a $16-plus million dollar-a-year player, the approximate going rate for competent signal-callers these days. He routinely uses the media as a conduit for his message, like most quality agents.

The Jets, however, aren’t going to bite on this one. They’ll invite Sexton, who can talk to other teams during the league’s two-day legal tampering period beginning Monday, to find a team willing to pay Fitzpatrick $16 million per year.

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The reality is that the Jets are the only team in the league guaranteeing a starting job for Fitzpatrick in 2016. After a decade of bouncing around from team to team and fighting for a chance to start, does anyone on Earth actually think that Fitzpatrick would walk away from a guaranteed starting gig with the team that helped him to the most productive season of his life?

Letting Fitzpatrick walk over a few million bucks after a 10-6 season probably would not be wise for the Jets. Plus, Brandon Marshall showed us with this video on Monday that he would be irritated if it happened. Even if New York doesn’t sign Fitzpatrick before free agency begins, they are still likely to retain him.