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Ryan Fitzpatrick and Gardner Minshew Engaged in War of Words Over Facial Hair

In Wednesday’s Hot Clicks: The NFL’s most hirsute quarterbacks face off, Nikola Jokic’s ridiculous fadeaway and more.

Dan Gartland

It’s beard vs. mustache this week on ‘Thursday Night Football’

This week’s Thursday Night Football game features two thoroughly average quarterbacks with decidedly not-average facial hair. Not only is the matchup an intrastate rivalry between the Dolphins and Jaguars, it pits beard vs. mustache in the form of quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Gardner Minshew. 

Fitzpatrick has been sporting a beard of various lengths since his days in Buffalo a decade ago, but he’s really let it flourish in the past couple of years with the Dolphins. It’s always been as thick as carpeting but now it’s bushy enough that it extends down nearly to his chest. It’s a wonder he’s able to buckle his chinstrap with that big lumberjack beard in the way. 

Minshew’s mustache has been his trademark since he was in college at Washington State, and his look has evolved to include long, flowing hair and a soul patch that gives him an overwhelming blues-rock bassist vibe. 

Split image of Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew
Jasen Vinlove/USA Today Sports | Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports

Both men’s facial hair is glorious in its own way, but Fitzpatrick came out firing on Tuesday with some fighting words about Minshew’s whiskers.

”The mustache versus the beard, I think the beard is a cooler look. I think guys that grow mustaches a lot of times have patchy sides for their beards, so they just stick with the mustache,” Fitzpatrick told reporters.

Minshew responded by defending the hairiness of his cheeks and taking a shot at Fitzpatrick’s age. 

“I’ll let mine speak for itself,” the Jags QB said. “But I think I’ve shown I can grow a beard with no patchy sides. I’m gonna have respect for my elders. Especially when they’re much, much older.”

He’s right. Check out the beard Minshew sported at the 2019 NFL combine. No patches on the sides. 

Gardner Minshew with a beard at the NFL combine
Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports

Minshew better not trim his cheeks at all between now and game time, just to show Fitzpatrick he’s capable of competing in the beard department, as well as on the field. 

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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