Jacksonville Jaguars: Ryan Fitzpatrick is best QB mentor in free agency

The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t find many negatives in signing Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick surely knows he’s near the end of the tunnel, so he wants to maximize his window of opportunity to win, not necessarily a championship, just win some football games and have fun while doing so. He could do precisely that in Jacksonville.

Keep in mind that whoever signs Fitzpatrick is aware he’s not going to be the long-term answer at the position. Not even in his prime was Fitzpatrick a franchise quarterback and that won’t chance near the end of his career. However, he doesn’t have to be and if the Jaguars indeed draft Trevor Lawrence, the veteran could be their Day 1 starter while he helps the rookie get acquainted with the nuances of the pro game.

Once Lawrence is ready, Fitzpatrick could take a step back and serves as the Jaguars’ primary backup quarterback. Also, it wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive to sign him. He made $8 million in 2020 and even if he asked for a slight rise, the Jaguars could easily give him the contract he wants without hindering their ability to add other players in free agency.

After all, the Jags are projected to have a league-high $82 million in cap space and should be able to make a few impact signings in free agency. Fitzpatrick could be one of the most meaningful ones they make since Lawrence is the future of the organization, but they need someone that can help the them cross that bridge.