Ryan Fitzpatrick couldn’t be more relieved.
More than seven months after he last donned a Jets uniform, the bearded quarterback finally is back in green and white after agreeing to terms on a one-year, $12 million deal Wednesday evening.
Just in the nick of time, apparently.
“Yesterday was one of the most stressful days, with everything coming to a head,” Fitzpatrick told ESPN.com in a phone interview Thursday morning. “I didn’t want to miss any camp. That was important.”
After months of stalled negotiations, talks finally heated up on Wednesday as the Jets increased their one-year offer from $9 million to $12 million and imposed a 7 p.m. deadline for Fitzpatrick to accept before the team threatened to move on.
The veteran quarterback said in the phone interview that he arrived “one second” before the team’s 7 p.m. meeting Wednesday night.
“Sorry I’m late,” he told Bowles.
The Jets will hold their first training camp practice Thursday afternoon and Fitzpatrick is expected to be there.
..... - Newsday