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Todd Bowles says Ryan Fitzpatrick will be Jets’ starter if he returns in 2016

Jets head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the team’s starter in 2016 if he returns to New York.
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New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles said that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start at quarterback in 2016 if he returns to the team, reports the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta.

The comment comes in the wake of Fitzpatrick’s three fourth quarter interceptions en route to his team’s 22–17 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The loss, coupled with a win by the Pittsburgh Steelers, eliminated the Jets from playoff contention on the final day of the regular season. 

In his first year with the team, Fitzpatrick set New York’s single-season record for touchdown passes with 31, despite not being expected to start this season. He became the team’s No. 1 option at signal caller after IK Enemkpali broke Geno Smith’s jaw during the preseason.

• 2016 NFL Playoffs: Seeds, standings and matchups

In Bowles’s first season at the helm of the Jets, the team finished with a 10–6 record, good for second place in the AFC East.