With Ryan Fitzpatrick reportedly ailing, is it time for Jets to turn to Bryce Petty?
Given his 8-to-13 touchdown-to-interception ratio in eight starts (nine appearances) this season, it’s clear the #FitzMagic the New York Jets enjoyed last year is long gone.
The Jets already benched Fitzpatrick in favor of former second-round pick Geno Smith, but Smith couldn’t finish his Week 7 start, suffering a torn ACL against the Baltimore Ravens.
So the team turned back to Fitzpatrick, but on Sunday, when the veteran briefly had to leave the Jets’ game against the Miami Dolphins, the offense was in the hands of second-year quarterback Bryce Petty.
Petty’s appearance was the definition of a cameo: he played for four snaps, but it was enough to complete two passes (on two attempts), the first for a first down that got the Jets into the red zone. Nick Folk converted a 28-yard field goal that pulled New York within four points.
Fitzpatrick came back into the game on the Jets’ next possession, saw a touchdown pass reversed when the receiver was ruled down by contact, and then threw his NFL-high 13th pick three plays later.
After the game, coach Todd Bowles said Fitzpatrick would start Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams if he is healthy.
But if he’s not?
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that Fitzpatrick has a sprained MCL that is “not considered serious” but could impact the Jets’ decision-making when it comes to quarterback.
Sunday was Petty’s first appearance in a regular-season NFL game since being taken in the fourth round last year out of Baylor. Fans have been calling for him to get a chance since Fitzpatrick’s play has been so poor and since Smith is unavailable too.
It doesn’t seem like the Jets have much to lose at this point by giving Petty a shot. They fell to 3-6 with the loss to the Dolphins, last in the AFC East and 14th of 16 teams in the AFC. When Fitzpatrick was re-signed it was only for this year, and this is the last season of the disappointing Smith’s rookie contract as well.
Petty, in contrast, has an extremely low salary and is under team control for a couple more years. The consensus is that the 2017 quarterback class is underwhelming, and it’s not like teams haven’t had success with mid-round quarterbacks: look at the Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott. And he was drafted by the current regime of Bowles and general manager Mike Maccagnan, so in theory they believe in him at least enough to have drafted him.
It seems unlikely that Washington will let Kirk Cousins, playing on the franchise tag, walk in free agency, and even less likely that the Jets’ hated rival, New England, would trade Jimmy Garoppolo to them, so why not try to figure out if Petty is the answer?
