Washington QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Injury Led to Retirement 'Preview'

When Ryan Fitzpatrick got injured during Washington's Week 1 game last season against the Los Angeles Chargers, nobody knew if that would be his final snap in the NFL.

However, that was confirmed to be his final NFL down after the 39-year-old quarterback retired earlier this offseason.

Fitzpatrick shared his experience of rehabbing his injury on The Adam Schefter Podcast earlier this week.

“Last year for me kind of ended up being a preview for what was to come. After I got hurt — and with the trainer situation in Washington — I was pretty much removed from the team probably three to four weeks after my injury,” Fitzpatrick said.

“It was kind of a rehab for an hour or two each day [thing], but I was removed from the day-to-day, the meetings, the football and being involved with that. It gave me a glimpse into the future of what retirement would look like, it drove my wife crazy, but I think it was a good preview for what was to come. It was time and I’m ready for it.”

Fitzpatrick played for nine teams during his 17-year NFL career. He played for the St. Louis Rams (2005-06), Cincinnati Bengals (2007-08), Bills (2009-12), Tennessee Titans (2013), Houston Texans (2014), New York Jets (2015-16), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017-18), Miami Dolphins (2019-20) and the Washington Football Team (2021).

Fitzpatrick was seen as a player who could help keep Washington in the playoff race after a 2020 NFC East title, but his injury set Washington's 2021 season into a tailspin that forced the team to play catchup from the start. Taylor Heinicke took over Fitzpatrick's starting duties for most of the season.

As a free agent, Fitzpatrick was waiting to see if there was any interest in him joining a team in 2022, but nobody was willing to sign him to a contract.

Now that he's retired, Fitzpatrick is being considered by Amazon for a role on their Thursday Night Football broadcasts.