Broncos Reach Out To Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Agent

SUNDAY, 9:00am: ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms that the Broncos have indeed reached out to Fitzpatrick, but, like the Jets, the Broncos are currently unwilling to meet Fitzpatrick’s salary demands (Fitzpatrick is said to be seeking a contract that will pay him $16MM-$18MM per year). Per Schefter, Denver will monitor the Fitzpatrick situation while continuing to pursue other signal-callers to compete with the recently-acquired Mark Sanchez.

THURSDAY, 5:38pm: The Broncos are looking into Plan B scenarios and, as expected, they are exploring the idea of signing Ryan Fitzpatrick, as Michael Silver of NFL Network tweets. Denver has been in touch with Fitzpatrick’s agent about a possible deal. Ryan Fitzpatrick (vertical)

It’s not immediately clear how close the two sides might be to a deal or whether numbers have been exchanged. And, even though the Broncos were not able to retain their top QB choice in Brock Osweiler, they still have multiple options to choose from. With Robert Griffin III also on the open market and Colin Kaepernick likely available via trade, Fitzpatrick may not be their No. 2 or even No. 3 choice.

At age 33, Fitzpatrick is coming off of a career year. Naturally, his value is pretty hard to nail down. On one hand, Fitzpatrick guided the Jets offense extremely well in 2015 and talent at the quarterback position is scarce. On the other hand, some would argue that Fitzpatrick represents a decent transitional option at best, and pessimists could point to his solid campaign as a fluke. Still, it’s the market that dictates a player’s value and there aren’t a whole lot of quality quarterback options out there. After celebrating a Super Bowl victory, the Broncos certainly want to have a capable QB under center in 2016.

In 2015, Fitzpatrick started all 16 games for the Jets, setting new career highs by tossing 31 touchdowns and racking up 3,905 yards through the air. He led the team to a 10-6 record for the season, narrowly missing a playoff berth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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