Ryan Fitzpatrick has been the MVP of the New York Jets' season through 10 weeks of play. The veteran quarterback came into the team via a trade and was not even projected as the starting quarterback, but after replacing the injured Geno Smith he never looked back. At 32, Fitzpatrick is certainly a veteran of this league, but with confidence that he can play for much longer, the Jets are already thinking contract extension.
The Jets have a lot of players needing new deals in the offseason and Fitzpatrick is one of them. The veteran has been the stable threat that the Jets have needed at the quarterback position and they are thinking about keeping him around for much longer than originally intended. According to general manager Mike Maccagnan, Fitzpatrick has a lot of football left in him and that would be played out in New York.
Maccagnan made it clear that they like the idea of keeping Fitzpatrick around, but the team is "taking our time with it." According to ESPN's Rich Cimini, Fitzpatrick might be the team's best chance at competing next season. Geno Smith and Bryce Petty will be under contract for next year, but Maccagnan made it clear that "The just is still out, but not in a bad way." It is clear the Jets have lost a significant amount of confidence in Smith which makes the deal for Fitzpatrick even more important. If available, the veteran quarterback will be gone quickly. The Jets cannot afford to let that happen if they have no faith in either Smith or Petty being starting options next year. Unless the Jets are thinking of getting in on the Matthew Stafford or Colin Kaepernick sweepstakes that could take place in the offseason, Fitzpatrick is the man to bring back.
Fitzpatrick's potential contract is not the only deal that will plague the Jets coming up. Muhammad Wilkerson is in the final year of his deal. The defensive end wanted a new contract last summer and even held out to try and get on. Instead the Jets tabled discussions which could hurt their chances of retaining the young star.Maccagnan recognizes that Wilkerson was not happy with the contract situation of last summer, but praised his ability to step up.
"I'd say for the record, Mo has done a very good job and we're very happy with what he's done so far," Maccagnan said, via ESPN.com.
Wilkerson is another player the Jets cannot afford to let walk away. Leonard Williams has been good but not great. Sheldon Richardson has lost the trust of the organization. Wilkerson is the man to bring back as a defensive anchor.
