A name that some have suggested as a potential backup quarterback for Baker Mayfield is Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the Cleveland Browns should avoid him.
Ryan Fitzpatrick is more than capable of being a backup quarterback in the NFL. Fitzpatrick has even started in multiple places during his career and has been able to win games as a starter. However the reason for the Cleveland Browns to avoid Ryan Fitzpatrick is not performance related (although that angle has more than enough merit to argue for). The reason is that there is a strange phenomenon that occurs when Ryan Fitzpatrick is a backup quarterback in the NFL.
The regular starter almost always suffers an injury.
Since entering the league in 2005, the starting quarterback of a team that Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a member of has been injured eight times. Even when Fitzpatrick was benched in favor of someone else, his replacement would get injured. Fitzpatrick even got a shot while Jameis Winston served a suspension, (although that is unrelated to the presence of Fitzpatrick).
2005: While with the St. Louis Rams Fitzpatrick replaces an injured Jamie Martin.
2008: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer suffers an elbow injury and Fitzpatrick ended up starting 12 games that season.
2009: Buffalo Bills starter Trent Edwards leaves a game with an injury and Fitzpatrick replaces him for that game and is subsequently named the starter after Dick Jauron is fired.
2013: Fitzpatrick replaces an injured Jake Locker and starts 9 of 11 games for the Tennessee Titans that season.
2014: After being benched for Ryan Mallett earlier in the year, Mallett suffers a season ending pectoral injury. This leads to Fitzpatrick reclaiming his starting role for the Houston Texans.
2015: Fitzpatrick is now a member of the New York Jets and is the backup for Geno Smith. IK Enemkpali breaks Smith’s jaw and Fitzpatrick becomes the starter.
2016: Geno Smith replaces Fitzpatrick due to ineffective play. In Smith’s first start he suffers a season-ending injury, leading to Fitzpatrick again starting for the Jets.
2017: Tampa Bay signs Ryan Fitzpatrick in the offseason. Starter Jameis Winston injures his shoulder and Fitzpatrick replaces him.
2018: Not an injury, but while Winston is serving a suspension, “FitzMagic” happens. This leads to speculation that Fitzpatrick may not relinquish the starting job. Winston took back the starting role but was inevitably replaced by Fitzpatrick due to poor play.
Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, but eight injuries is certainly something.
Eight injuries have occurred leading to Ryan Fitzpatrick starting football games. There is just some sort of weird series of events that occurs once Fitzpatrick enters the building.
There is absolutely no scientific date or tangible reason for why this happens. It just does.
When it comes to the Cleveland Browns and their search for a new backup quarterback, they should avoid Ryan Fitzpatrick. Football teams should not live in fear or be superstitious in regards to certain things. Although this is one instance where they should. There is more than examples of Fitzpatrick signing with a team and eventually replacing the starter due to injury. It is best not to take that chance now that the Cleveland Browns have their franchise quarterback in Baker Mayfield.
