Ryan Fitzpatrick's 2021 season -- and perhaps his time with the Washington Football Team -- will officially come to a close, as he's set for surgery.
Fitzpatrick will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his hip, a measure that will help him heal up and bring to an end his season after just one game, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning.
Rapoport reported in mid-November that Fitzpatrick was expected to be done for the year as his road to recovery from hip subluxation was too long for an in-season return. It's come to fruition and now the question is what lies ahead for Fitzpatrick post-op?
Fitzpatrick signed a one-year deal with Washington ahead of the 2021 campaign, but threw six passes in a Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and that was it. He was originally expected to miss multiple weeks, but a more defined estimate never came to be and his absence extended and extended and now it will encapsulate the whole season.
In Fitzpatrick's absence, Taylor Heinicke has taken the Washington reins. Heinicke has been inconsistent, much like his predecessor, but has been playing well of late and most importantly Washington is streaking, having won four in a row to improve to 6-6 -- prime position for a playoff berth.
Whether Heinicke can stay put as Washington's quarterback of the future is a prevailing quandary for the franchise, but conventional wisdom would point to Fitzpatrick's days in the nation's capital having concluded.
Fitzpatrick, 39, is the definition of a journeyman quarterback, and perhaps the most beloved in NFL chronicle. The bearded wonder has had plenty of erratic play through his career, but has been able to chuck it with the best of them throughout upswings, as "Fitzmagic" became a phenomenon during his stays with the Buccaneers and Dolphins from 2017-2020.
Through his 17-season NFL career, Fitzpatrick has played for nine teams. Perhaps a 10th awaits, or maybe a reunion with a former team? Those questions will be answered in the offseason. For now, Fitzpatrick's going under the knife and looking to heal a hip subluxation that robbed him of his run with Washington.
