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Miami Dolphins rumors: Ryan Fitzpatrick leaning towards retirement

Ryan Fitzpatrick Miami Dolphins

While offseason speculation has Ryan Fitzpatrick potentially playing elsewhere in 2021, a new report indicates that the veteran may end up retiring after 16 seasons in the NFL.

John Clayton looked at quarterback options for the Denver Broncos and discounted rumors that they would be going after the 38-year-old Fitzpatrick.

“Ryan Fitzpatrick looks like he’s going to retire,” Clayton wrote. “The Broncos did make some contact with him. He’s been with eight teams and played a long time. But it looks like he’s going to be out of the mix.”

In his two seasons with the Dolphins, Fitzpatrick has provided invaluable leadership that allowed them to emerge from a disastrous start in 2019.

After the Dolphins drafted Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall pick last year, Fitzpatrick was seen as a mentor for the rookie, who eventually was elevated to the starting job.

Since Fitzpatrick was still producing on the field, the expectation has been that he would move on to what would be his ninth NFL team.

However, all of those changes over the years may have led Fitzpatrick to look more closely at retirement as a viable and more stable option.

Over the past year, he’s suffered the loss of his mother and was forced to deal with testing positive for COVID-19. Those issues could be offering him a different perspective regarding his future.

It seems likely that Fitzpatrick could have a future as an NFL assistant coach, given the way he’s mentored countless quarterbacks over the years. If he does indeed retire, that speculation is likely to begin.