Ryan Fitzpatrick – March 19, 2019
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Tuesday, March 19, 2019
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
(I’ve got a question regarding how you view this job. It appears the Dolphins don’t want to make the playoffs this season, and that’s just how I’ll say it. Do you feel that you’re in an awkward situation or an unfamiliar situation?) – “Well, I’ve been in pretty much every situation you can imagine over my career. The way that I view this, there’s 32 of these starting gigs in the NFL and this is one of them and the opportunity to be one of those 32 guys is an amazing privilege and honor. So when they approached me about signing on, I was so excited about the chance to get on the field and play. There’s still stuff obviously that we’ve got to figure out – that I’ve got to figure out – because I haven’t thrown with any of the guys or anything like that, but I’m very excited for the opportunity.”
(I know you talked about the starting gig and how rare that is. How would you feel if the Dolphins drafted a rookie quarterback high in the draft and how would that impact your feeling about this gig?) – “We’ll see what happens. I know that this is the NFL, which means that nothing is promised. There are things that come up and happen all of the time. I just felt like it was a great opportunity for me and again, I’ve pretty much been in all of the different situations you can think of or imagine. And I think that was probably some of the appeal, as well, on their end: just the steadiness and the experience that I have.”
(What other opportunities did you have? Whether you want to name teams or not, did you have many other options?) – “For me, historically, there’s always been that first wave of big-name guys and whatever else, so I’ve always kind of been a Day 2 or Day 3 (guy and) wait and see what’s out there in free agency … that the Dolphins had expressed interest. I had some other calls from teams. All of them had guys that were penciled in as starters so even though financially there were some similarities and things, I looked at it as a chance to play and that’s why I got excited about it.”
(Did you have conversations with the Dolphins about whether this starting job is yours for sure in 2019?) – “Well, we’ve had plenty of conversations. I don’t necessarily need to get into them but again, I know that I’m going into this thing and I’m going to come in from Day 1 and act like and be the starting quarterback for this organization until they tell me that I’m not. It’s just one of those things. Again, nothing is promised in the NFL and I’m just going to keep my head down and go to work.”
(What did the start to last season show you of what you have left here and what you can still do in the NFL at this stage in your career?) – “I’ve been very fortunate. Physically, I feel great. I broke my leg in 2014 and other than that, for having a 14-year career and as many games as I’ve played in, physically I feel probably as good as I could have ever hoped for or imagined. That was never an issue. For me now, sitting down thinking about do I want to play, do I not want to play, last year really energized me. The last two years really energized me – getting out there on the field and being able to play. I think, as we’ve seen with a lot of these other guys, experience is such a big thing for a quarterback. Fourteen years in, fifteen years in is kind of … It used to be looked at as over the hill or whatever, but it’s kind of the norm now for some of these guys that are playing 16, 17, 18 years and playing good football. I feel like I’m playing really good football right now. Over the last four or five years, I think I’ve taken the next step and hope to continue to improve as we get going.”
(What do you know about the offensive talent that you’ll be playing with, mainly at the wide receiver position and tight end?) – “A lot of it for me is just from what I’ve seen from afar. As we get going here, I’ll dig into that much more. I met a few of the guys at the facility. I had a real brief visit – come in, do a physical, sign a contract, all that – but I ran into a couple guys in the lunch room. I’m excited for it. I think the thing that jumps out without knowing them too well is the run-after-catch ability. There’s not just one or two guys. There’s a bunch of guys that are able to catch the ball and do something special with the football. I think if there’s one thing I had to point to with the group just superficially from what I know, that would be it.”
(What have you learned over the years about the best way to approach mentoring and helping younger quarterbacks in your room and on your team?) – “I think the biggest thing for me is just be yourself. I’ll be myself. That includes the hard work, all the grinding – the mental and the physical grinding – that it takes in the offseason and through the season, and just being available. Not having any ego when you’re into things like this. Those are things that I’ve done over the course of my career that I think have turned out to be successful.”
(Throughout your career, you’ve put up some big numbers but also worn seven uniforms before this one. How do you describe that journey that you’ve been on and having to move around so much. I know sometimes pro athletes take it for granted, but you’ve done so much moving. How have you been able to cope with all of that?) – “I’ve loved it. I think as a family, we look at it as an adventure every time we’ve moved and every new city we’ve gone to. We’ve had such a great time with it, trying not to focus on the labor and the misery of moving around and hanging our head. We try to focus on the fun and the thrill of being able to move around and the adventure of it and meeting new people, not just through football – not just the players and the coaches and the organizational people – but the community. The amount of lifelong friendships we’ve made whether we’ve been in a place for one or two or four years has truly been amazing for us, so it’s really not something that I would change because of how much fun we’ve had and the amazing people that we’ve met along the way.”
(With temperatures in the 90s and higher, is it realistic to keep the beard?) – “I’ve done it in Houston, I’ve done it in Tampa. It did start, really the beginning, was probably Buffalo because of the cold, but it’s become such a part of who I am that it will definitely be in full effect.”
(The role of the quarterback, he’s always been the most important player on the team but since you’ve been in the league, we’ve seen the rules change favoring the passing game. Has the role of the quarterback changed, and if so, how have you had to change your approach to things?) – “I think it’s not just for the quarterback. I know there has been an emphasis on the quarterback in terms of player safety, but in general since 2005, when I came into the league, there has been a huge emphasis on player safety. (The NFL has been) taking away blindside blocks and low blocks and different things. Each year we seem to add one or two things, but all of it is in the best interest of the players. I know the QB position is at a premium on the field. There has been a huge emphasis in that. That being said, some of the roles in terms of what they can and can’t do – hitting defenseless receivers – I think that’s changed the way we play the game a little bit. (It has) open(ed) up the middle of the field maybe a little bit more. Other than that … When I get hit, it still hurts, I promise. (laughter) That’s the way the game is right now and I think a lot of those changes, not just for the quarterback but in general, has been made for the better.”
(As you know, you are joining a team where another guy named Fitzpatrick has also been associated with the term ‘FitzMagic’. Is there room on one roster for two pieces of ‘FitzMagic’ and have you talked to S Minkah Fitzpatrick about this yet?) – “(laughter) I haven’t. I haven’t talked to or met Minkah yet. I think first we have to figure out if we’re related in some way, trace it back and see where it goes to. (laughter) I think there’s plenty of magic to go around.”
