Examining the QB options: Ryan Fitzpatrick might be the mentor Drew Lock needs

Sixth in a series

PREVIOUS ENTRIES: Nick Foles | Marcus Mariota | Andy Dalton | Tyrod Taylor | Alex Smith

RYAN FITZPATRICK, MIAMI DOLPHINS

• AGE AT START OF 2021 SEASON: 38
• EXPERIENCE: 17th year

THE HIGHS: Yes, you start with the beard. It’s epic. It’s untamed. It screams Colorado Mountain Man, living off the land and the trout swimming through the crisp high-country streams, even though he has started just one game in the Centennial State during his whistle-stop career. Fitzpatrick looks as though he was always destined to play for a team that makes its home at the base of the Rocky Mountains.

But beyond the aesthetic appeal of Fitzpatrick, there’s the fact that he’s playing the best football of his career right now. His ESPN QBR of 76.9 last year was the best of his career, which followed a 68.3 QBR in 2019 that now stands as the second-highest. Last year, he completed 68.5 percent of his passes — again, the best figure he’s ever posted.

Fitzpatrick has played for eight teams in his career. Just one of those teams kept him around for more than two seasons. But he’s earned over $71 million in his career. And the truth is, the Broncos would have been wise to sign Fitzpatrick in 2016 after Brock Osweiler jumped to the Houston Texans. Fitzpatrick’s 2016 performance — 12 touchdowns, 17 interceptions and the worst passer rating of his career since his rookie season — would probably have been substantially better had he played under Gary Kubiak while surrounded by the components of a team that won Super Bowl 50 a year earlier.

THE LOWS: Getting benched at last year’s bye when the Dolphins were on a two-game winning streak and Fitzpatrick had a 10-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his previous five games appeared to be a curious move at the time. Yes, it was inevitable that first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa would eventually start. But the timing of the move stunned the league.

But Fitzpatrick’s South Florida story had not reached its final chapter. He relieved Tagovalioa in the Dolphins’ Week 11 game in Denver and nearly brought Miami back from the brink. Only an end-zone interception by Justin Simmons with just over one minute remaining in regulation prevented Miami from completing the comeback.

Fitzpatrick’s relief work down the stretch last year resembled his overall body of work with both Miami and Tampa Bay in the last four seasons. And according to a report last week in The Miami Herald, Fitzpatrick believes he’s played well enough to get a chance to at least compete for a starting job.

That would not happen in Miami, not with Tagovailoa around. But Denver could offer that opportunity.

FOUR-YEAR FORM (2017-20)

(Rankings are among 62 quarterbacks with at least 250 total plays — attempts, rushes and times sacked — over the past four years.)

• PASSER RATING: 91.0, 24th
• YARDS PER ATTEMPT: 7.72, 11th
• COMPLETION PERCENTAGE: 64.01, 30th
• TOUCHDOWN-PASS RATE: One every 20.67 attempts, 19th
• SACK RATE: One every 16.71 pass plays, 21st
• INTERCEPTION RATE: One every 32.72 attempts, 51st
• FUMBLE RATE: One every 92.6 plays, 18th
• BALL-LOSS RATE (INTERCEPTIONS + FUMBLES): One every 27.24 plays, 40th

WHAT STANDS OUT: “Fitzmagic” is more than just a nickname. It’s a style of play, a mindset, a go-for-it ethos that is pretty much the opposite of what you might expect from an Ivy League quarterback. Few quarterbacks throw caution to the wind more often than Fitzpatrick, which is why his worst four-year numbers are his interception rate and his ball-loss rate — with an interception rate of one every 32.72 attempts averaging out to roughly one per game. In three of Fitzpatrick’s six starts last year, he threw multiple interceptions.

WHY HE COULD BE A FIT: The manner in which he handled being benched last year shows that he can handle being on the sideline — even when he didn’t deserve to be there. So if the Broncos bring him in for competition with Lock and he loses, there is little doubt that Fitzpatrick would handle the situation with dignity, while keeping himself ready. That trait allowed him to flourish when he was thrust back into the lineup, particularly in a Week 16 Miami win at Las Vegas.

Fitzpatrick’s style also suits the Broncos’ situation. Lock has gunslinger in his quarterbacking DNA. So does Fitzpatrick. In that regard, he might be the best mentor for Lock, because he draw wisdom and tutelage from situations and decisions exactly like the ones Lock would face today.

WHY HE WOULDN’T BE: You have to accept the mistakes. His four-year interception-rate ranking of 51st is one spot below Lock; Fitzpatrick’s rate of one interception every 32.72 attempts is comparable to Lock’s rate of one every 33.28. If the Broncos’ goal is to find a quarterback who will minimize mistakes, other passers such as Tyrod Taylor or Gardner Minshew II might be better-suited for their needs.

HOW THE BRONCOS MIGHT GET HIM: Via free agency. Fitzpatrick has tested the waters multiple times before. If needed, he has demonstrated patience to find the spot and the contract value he seeks. But he’s also a better, more efficient quarterback now than at any point in his career. He has plenty of value, and likely will not linger for long on the market.