Breaking: Former Buffalo Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Retires After 17 Seasons

Well, the title just about sums it up. One of the NFL’s most beloved journeymen is hanging up his walking boots. After 17 seasons, with eight franchises, Ryan Fitzpatrick is done. He was injured in 2021 and, though he had surgery to repair the issue, his playing career is over. He spent four of those seasons with the Buffalo Bills, marking the most of any of his teams over the course of his career. With 53 starts for this franchise, he deserves a fond farewell from the fans.

Ryan Fitzpatrick: A Buffalo Bill

Perhaps some of the most memorable football Ryan Fitzpatrick ever played was in the Bills’ blue. His battle against Trent Edwards for the starting job was one of the highlights of the drought, and he gave us some great moments. How can one forget this pass to Terrell Owens in 2009? It was the longest passing play in team history.

He was full of those flashes of greatness. In 2010, he pulled out a 316 yard, four TD game (three of them to WR Stevie Johnson) for an epic comeback win against the Cincinnati Bengals, 49-31. Fitzy finished his time in Buffalo fourth all-time in team passing yards (11,654), a position now held by Josh Allen.

Prior to his time in Buffalo, he played for the St. Louis Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. Once he left, he started for the Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Commanders. A career as widespread as his is rare to see, but it just endeared him to the entire league.

His final moment on the NFL stage came not from the field, but the stands. He joined Bills Mafia at the 2022 Wild Card slaughter of the New England Patriots. It was the only perfect offensive game in NFL history, and Fitzpatrick went shirtless in the frigid January cold. He is expected to move into broadcasting at this time. Congratulations on your retirement, Ryan. We’ll always remember you!