NFL Rumors: WFT QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to Undergo Surgery for Hip Injury; Out for Season

Washington Football Team quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will miss the remainder of the 2021 season after deciding to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his hip.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the surgery will help Fitzpatrick heal his ailing hip, which he injured in Week 1. The veteran has been rehabbing with hopes of returning this season, but the decision to have surgery will end his season and perhaps his tenure in Washington after only one game.

Fitzpatrick signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Washington during the offseason in hopes of serving as a stopgap starter as the team searches for its quarterback of the future. Taylor Heinicke has started Washington's last 11 games, throwing for 2,809 yards and 18 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. The former undrafted free agent has helped spearhead a four-game winning streak that has Washington in the thick of the playoff hunt.

It's unlikely that Heinicke is the long-term option in Washington, either, but it is possible the team brings him back in 2022 as a short-term solution while grooming a young quarterback. Fitzpatrick turned 39 in November, and Henicke's relative success likely makes him expendable when he reaches free agency.

There will be no shortage of suitors when Fitzpatrick hits the open market, as he remains a high-quality backup and bridge starter despite his advancing age.