Ryan Fitzpatrick Comments on Fan Reaction to Contract Negotiations with Jets

The drama dragged into July, but quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be back under center for the New York Jets in 2016 after inking a one-year, $12 million deal Wednesday. His status was of great interest for Jets fans, and at times during negotiations, Fitzpatrick wasn't feeling the love from them.

Speaking with the media Saturday (via ESPN.com's Rich Cimini), Fitzpatrick revealed some people accused him of being "greedy":

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Everywhere I went, that was a topic of conversation. Some of them were trying to feel it out and buddy me up to get the answer to what's really going on with the situation. They wanted my agent's number. Some of them were telling me I need to sign, "stop being so greedy." Everything in the book was thrown at me. But for the most part, people were pretty respectful about it.

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That's one of the drawbacks of playing within the largest sports market in the United States. New York fans are some of the most passionate and crude fans. They aren't afraid to speak their minds. So it wasn't surprising that Fitzpatrick ran into a few who didn't hold their tongues.

Faced with the prospect of having Geno Smith as their starter could have also added some aggression to those interested in his status.

Fitzpatrick had a career year in 2015—his first with the Jets. He put up career bests of 3,905 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. It wasn't enough, though, as New York fell just short of the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

Shortly after Super Bowl 50, the Jets offered Fitzpatrick a $7 million to $8 million per-year deal, but an ESPN.com report stated Fitzpatrick wanted double that amount. 

According to that same report, per Adam Schefter, the veteran quarterback was willing to sit out rather than play for the Jets under that offer, though it was later refuted by the New York Post's Brian Costello. 

Instead, Fitzpatrick and the Jets worked things out. In training camp, he showed "rust was evident in the first practice, but he has settled in nicely, reconnecting with wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker," per Cimini. 

While he might have silenced those who called him greedy, he doesn't have much time to relax with the regular season starting in a little over a month. If he and his Jets don't get off to a good start, then those aggressive fans will most likely find their way back to him.

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.