The Loop
Welp, these Ryan Fitzpatrick quotes about being benched just made us incredibly depressed
So far, the reaction to the Ryan Fitzpatrick benching in favor of first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa in Miami has been a mix of shock and excitement. It's shocking because Fitzpatrick had been playing so well, having helped the Phins to a 3-3 start while ranking fifth in the league in completion percentage and seventh in QBR. But also exciting because anytime a highly touted first-round QB finally gets the call, he becomes must-see TV.
In addition to shocking and exciting, the move is also a bit sad. Fitzpatrick wasn't going to win an MVP, but he had the Dolphins in legitimate playoff contention, sitting just one game out of first place in the AFC East. He also looked like he was having an absolute blast on the field, and his teammates were fully behind him. But the NFL ain't some CYO league where everybody gets fair playing time. The Dolphins made a decision they felt was best for the organization, not a decision based off a fun little Fitz story line.
But we, and Dolphins fans and NFL fans in general, are allowed to feel a little bad for Fitzy, especially after seeing his thoughts on the matter on Wednesday. Fitzpatrick seems like the type of guy who would handle the news well. Maybe he'd give a few throwaway quotes about being Tua's mentor in the name of being a "professional." Instead, he said exactly how he felt, and boy was it depressing:
Damn, why are we crying in the club right now? We regret to inform you he wasn't done there either:
Sheesh, he's taking this hard. Us too. Tua's career in Miami is going to be a fascinating one to follow, but we'd be lying if we said we wouldn't mind seeing Fitz get in there one more time. No, we're not wishing injury on Tua, but maybe he plays so bad that they go back to Fitz at some point? Actually, we aren't wishing that either. The only man that can save Fitz right now is Jerry Jones, who may or may not be in needed of a competent starter right now. Just saying.