+1
The Buffalo Bills tabbed Ryan Fitzpatrick the quarterback of the future when they signed him to a reported six-year contract extension worth up to $59 million total.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is now the highest paid player in Buffalo Bills history. The AP reports that Fitzpatrick and the Bills agreed on the terms of a contract extension. ESPN reports it's a six-year deal worth $59 million total.
This is a win-win for both sides. The Bills are clearly improving and Fitzpatrick has been a big part of that completing over 66 percent of his passes, nearly 1,500 yards passing and 12 touchdowns to six interceptions.
For Fitzpatrick's part, $24 million of the $59 million deal is guaranteed and he'll receive $33 million over the first three years.
It's been a long ride for the former Harvard quarterback. He was originally a seventh round pick in the 2005 NFL draft, spending two seasons in St. Louis and another two in Cincinnati before coming to Buffalo in 2009. With the arrival of Chan Gailey, Fitzpatrick has flourished when given the opportunity, especially going 8-5 in his last 13 games.
The first question people will be asking is whether the Bills paid too much for Fitzpatrick but I think the numbers are about right. He's only the third highest paid quarterback in his own division with Tom Brady and Mark Sanchez. Bills fans are debating this very question over at Buffalo Rumblings.
Ryan Fitzpatrick's Contract With Buffalo Bills Seems Like A Win-Win
Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Buffalo Bills agreed to a six-year contract extension reportedly worth up to $59 million. The first question people usually ask after a player gets a big deal is whether the team over paid. In this case, I don't think they did, and neither does SB Nation's Bills blog,Buffalo Rumblings.
Compare it to some other players, and it looks like a good deal. Cassel received a six-year, $63 million deal while Kevin Kolb got $65 million over six years. As we pointed out, Fitzpatrick is only the third highest paid quarterback in his own division.
The numbers seem big but that's the going rate for a starting quarterback in the top half of the league.
Oct 28 2:20p by Joel Thorman - 1 comment