Ryan Fitzpatrick Named Jets Starting QB over Christian Hackenberg vs. Bills

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles announced Tuesday that Ryan Fitzpatrick will start the team's final regular-season game against the Buffalo Bills, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. 

Fitzpatrick is getting the nod over Christian Hackenberg, and speaking about the decision, Bowles said, "Putting [Hackenberg] in right now isn't going to hurt or help him," per Andy Vasquez of The Record.

Bowles also said Fitzpatrick will start because he was the team's backup before Bryce Petty's injury, so he'll be elevated into the first team, according to Newsday's Kimberley A. Martin.

The Jets announced Monday they placed Petty on injured reserve after he suffered a torn left labrum. Bowles said Tuesday that Petty has yet to undergo surgery, and the team doesn't know a tentative return date for the 2015 fourth-rounder, per the Jets' Twitter account.

Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall spoke about the decision, per Martin:

Bowles' decision to start Fitzpatrick in Week 17 is somewhat odd if only because the Jets don't have anything to play for against Buffalo. New York's focus at this stage should be on 2017 and beyond.

Fitzpatrick isn't likely to be back with the Jets next year. While he technically signed a two-year deal with the team, his contract will be voided if he's on the roster five days after Super Bowl LI. As such, it would make more sense to give Hackenberg an opportunity to pick up some starting experience.

However, Bowles wouldn't even commit to allowing Hackenberg to see limited duty, per ESPN.com's Rich Cimini.

Cimini wrote Tuesday he believes the Jets are concerned the second-round draft pick will perform badly, thus increasing the scrutiny from fans:

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Some people might think [Bowles] won't play Hackenberg because he's desperate for a win to save his job, but I don't buy that. If that were the case, he would've stayed with Fitzpatrick the entire time.

If the Jets don't play him, they'll hide behind the "we don't want to rush him" excuse, but it'll be because they're afraid of how bad it might look. They haven't been able to get that 11-for-31 stinker from the preseason out of their heads.

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The fact Bowles opted against starting Hackenberg in what is a meaningless game is a concerning sign. It's one thing for a team to be patient with a young quarterback when things are going well; it's another for a team to keep a young quarterback on the bench late in a lost season when the stakes are nonexistent.

There were a lot of question marks around Hackenberg when he was coming out of Penn State. He was once thought to be a possible top-five pick, but his stock fell so precipitously that Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson declined to give him a draft grade.

With the benefit of another offseason, Hackenberg could position himself to play a key role in the Jets offense in 2017. The team's lack of faith in his ability doesn't send a great message, though.