Ryan Fitzpatrick announces his retirement

Ryan Fitzpatrick has announced today that he is hanging up his cleats for good. NFL network reports that the 17-year veteran quarterback, known affectionately as Fitzmagic, is currently in talks with Amazon Prime Video for a key role in their NFL coverage this season.

A seventh-round draft pick in 2005, the Harvard quarterback went to the St Louis Rams and has since compiled at least one start for nine different NFL teams, the most of any player since 1950.

He captured the hearts of the nation in 2018 when he went head-to-head in an aerial battle with big Ben Roethlisberger on Monday Night Football, completing 30 of 50 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns. In the post-game interview, he wore a track suit, gold chains, and aviator sunglasses, kickstarting his reputation for being the king of cool.

Known for putting on a thrilling, if often doomed, performance on the field, Fitzpatrick’s 34,990 passing yards, 32nd most in NFL history, are the most by a player who never played in a playoff game.

The only quarterback to win a game with seven or more teams, he has far outperformed expectations of him.

Often placed in the position of joining a team as a backup, then getting on the field due to injury, where he performs well enough to be traded away and start the process all over again.

After recent glory in Miami, where he came the closest to the playoffs, he found himself again relegated to playing backup to rookie sensation Tua Tagovailoa, before being traded in 2021 to Washington. A dislocated hip in week 1 effectively ended his playing days, and he walks away from a long and winding career with his head held high.

As a product of Harvard, it is perhaps surprising that he came to the NFL at all, but then to have the level of success that he has had, Fitzmagic has definitely shown himself to be one of a kind. Godspeed, Ryan. Thank you for the show.