As a veteran quarterback accustomed to ever-changing roles
Dolphins Jerome Baker Jersey , there’s little Ryan Fitzpatrick hasn’t experienced during a 14-year NFL career.
He’s been a starter and a backup – several times.
Now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are counting on him to help them weather Jameis Winston’s three-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct
policy.
And then head back to the bench.
”I thought I had seen and been through it all,” said Fitzpatrick, who’s entering his second season with his seventh pro team. ”But another year, another
different situation.”
Not that the 35-year-old is complaining.
Fitzpatrick signed with Tampa Bay before last season, knowing coach Dirk Koetter sought him purely as a backup.
”I’ve learned that you view it as a one-game-at-a-time opportunity. That’s just the way it is in this league,” Fitzpatrick said.
”In 2015, when I played with the (New York) Jets, I was a backup and ended up (playing) the whole year with the situation there,” he added. ”In 2016, I was a
starter and I ended up getting benched three times. Every year is different. You
have to take it game by game and just go from there.”
Fitzpatrick, who turns 36 in November, entered the NFL as a seventh-round draft pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2005.
In addition to the Bucs and Jets, he’s also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans
Youth Dorian O'Daniel Jersey , completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 26,991 yards, 173 touchdowns and 136 interceptions.
He’s one of just four players in NFL history – along with Vinny Testaverde, Gus Frerotte and Chris Chandler – to throw TD passes with seven different
teams.
Winston, suspended following the league’s investigation of an allegation that he groped a female Uber driver during a ride in March 2016, will miss games
against New Orleans, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to begin the season.
Fitzpatrick rejected the notion that his role is to ”save the season.”
”The season hasn’t even started yet. … It’s a cliche, but it’s one game at a time. You have to look at it that way,” Fitzpatrick said. ”Not even based off
last year, talent-wise, looking at the team we have out here, I’m in the huddle
on offense, and it’s a pretty exciting huddle to be in as a quarterback looking
at some of those guys.”
With Winston missing three games and portions of two others because of injury, Fitzpatrick went 2-1 as a starter a year ago. Three seasons ago, he
threw for a career-best 3,905 yards and 31 TDs with the Jets.
Koetter noted that Fitzpatrick has 119 career starts and said he has total confidence in the veteran’s ability to handle the offense.
”We’re fortunate enough to have him
Jerome Baker Jersey Dolphins ,” Koetter said. ”We saw what he could do when he was our starter last year for three games. There’s no reason for us to be afraid
of Ryan playing quarterback for us. He’s going to play fine.”
And Winston, who’s allowed to practice during training camp and play preseason games, intends to do whatever he can help Fitzpatrick and No. 3
quarterback Ryan Griffin, a fifth-year pro who’s never taken a snap in a
regular-season game.
”As a teammate first, I understand it’s about this team and I am going to be there for Fitz as much as I can,” Winston, entering his fourth season, said.
”But it’s also about getting Ryan (Griffin) ready as well,” the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner added. ”My influence on this team is going to be positive, and I’m
going to be their best support system they have.”
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Dont’a Hightower is clearly thrilled to be back on the field after the frustration of having to sit and watch most of last season on the sidelines.
After making one of the biggest sacks in New England franchise history when he separated Atlanta’s Matt Ryan from the football during New England’s Super
Bowl comeback in February 2017, Hightower – who had missed three games the
previous season with a knee problem – was lost five games into the 2017 schedule
with a torn pectoral muscle. Coincidentally, he was hurt against the
Falcons.
His absence, felt deeply by a team that came up short defensively in the Super Bowl, wasn’t easy for Hightower to handle – even if it’s something he had
gotten used to.
”Absolutely,” the linebacker and defensive captain said Wednesday, following the second day of the Patriots‘ mandatory minicamp outside Gillette Stadium.
”Being out last year and even a little bit more the year before that
Logan Woodside Jersey Elite , it just feels good to be out here and be able to communicate, go through the worst part and embracing the (camp stuff),
as they say, with my teammates.”
Hightower, 28, has failed to play a full schedule in any of his six years in the NFL. In fact, he has missed 24 of a possible 96 regular-season games since
becoming a pro in 2012.
”It just (stinks) not being out there,” he said. ”I know in my career in the league I’ve missed a lot of games. It’s definitely not anticipated and it’s not
something I look forward to doing or want to do. But it’s part of it.
”Just not being out there during the regular season, let alone the playoffs, it (stinks) and it hurts.”
During his downtime, he said, ”I just do what I can, whether it’s talking to (media), or going out to dinner and talking about some stuff.”
And he also remained part of the group of linebackers.
”We’ve got a group chat. We stay on that,” he said. ”We’ve got a big old group chat. Whether it’s a funny meme or somebody’s got a question about
football, or we’re talking about something happening on TV
Cheap Alex Cappa Jersey , or the (NBA) Finals or whatever. We’ve got a tight-knit group and we stay close.”
Asked if he might have done some coaching while not playing, Hightower said, ”Not so much. There were small things I’d see during the games or whatever or
I’d see on the IPad at practice, I might say something to them. Not so much as a
coach on the sideline.”
So did it spark interest for him in a coaching future?
”Maybe,” he said. ”Definitely not in the NFL, probably not in college, either.
”I’ve been away for too long, man. I don’t know if I can do that. I mean, I love football but I don’t know if I love it that much.”
NOTES: Rob Gronkowski caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady in the corner of the end zone during one drill. Instead of his customary spike, he threw the ball
out of the practice fields. . Gronkowski, in a great state of mind after his
offseason of uncertainty, walked past the Hightower interview and was heard
saying, with a laugh, ”They trading me still?” . Day 2 and Brady remains quiet,
with Thursday seen as a possibility for him to meet with the media.
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