When the Miami Dolphins announced that they were rebuilding in 2019 and then subsequently came out and signed veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, it was difficult to see the logic behind the decision. The Dolphins were looking to tear things down, yet they signed a bridge quarterback who would play well enough to threaten the team’s standing for a top draft choice.
And while that’s exactly what happened as the Dolphins surged to a 5-4 finish to the season and picked No. 5 overall, the football gods were kind to Miami and the Dolphins still got their man, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.
And Fitzpatrick, is still here — and now that the hard part of drafting the quarterback high is over with, Fitzpatrick is now the perfect veteran quarterback to serve as a mentor on the roster. The Dolphins simply decided to acquire the second-most important fixture first.
For some context as to why Fitzpatrick is the perfect mentor, you don’t need to look any further than his appearance on the What’s Next? Podcast With Eric Wood. Fitzpatrick played several seasons in Buffalo with the former Bills center; and Fitzpatrick’s appearance shed some light on being a veteran quarterback and a mentor.
“The other thing in bringing in a new guy is that I always try and impress right away on these guys is: I am here. Again, zero ego, I have so much knowledge. I have made so many mistakes in this league, in terms of dumb decisions and throws. I learned how to prepare, I’ve learned so much about offenses and defenses and the way guys operate. Ask questions. Like, I’m an open book. Ask me whatever you want,” said Fitzpatrick.
That’s the luxury of having a quarterback who has won and lost plenty of quarterback competitions and endured to always find the next opportunity. Ryan Fitzpatrick, like a fine wine, continues to get better with age, too — he played his best career football in 2019 with the Dolphins. And aside of his eagerness to be an open book, he’s excited to work with Tagovailoa, too.
“I’m really excited, I’m really excited that they drafted (Tagovailoa). I’m excited because I watched him play at Alabama and he seems like he’s a pretty dynamic talent,” Fitzpatrick said. “For me, I’m his biggest cheerleader right now.”
But Fitzpatrick has found the balance in being not just a supporting coworker and a resource for younger quarterbacks — he’s still looking to play. And while he’s eager and ready to work with Tua Tagovailoa in 2020, he’s not exactly looking to defer the starting job away just yet. Sometimes the most valuable learning can be to watch someone else make the errors that you would otherwise be making.
“I think part of it is, they have to take a backseat and watch,” Fitzpatrick said. “They have to watch how I operate… not to say what I do is perfect… but there are going be a lot of things they can pull from me that they like and there’s going to be some things they can pull from me that they don’t like and say, ‘I don’t want that.’ But I think that I have enough qualities that Miami has seen that they like and they would like another quarterback to have in them.”