As an NFL free agent in 2021, Ryan Fitzpatrick signed a contract with the Washington Football Team. Let’s take a look at the structure of Fitzpatrick’s contract, his salary cap number, and what options Washington has with his contract this season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s contract details and bonuses
Fitzpatrick signed a one-year contract worth $10 million. The deal contained $6 million in a signing bonus, which counted for all the guarantees.
A further $3 million can be earned in base salary and up to $2 million in incentives. Additionally, Fitzpatrick’s contract contains a per-game active bonus of $58,823 up to a maximum of $1 million. Thus, if Fitzpatrick hits the incentives, the value of the contract could be as much as $12 million.
Fitzpatrick still has just one year remaining on his contract
As Fitzpatrick only signed a one-year deal, that is all he has remaining. Unless Washington and Fitzpatrick agree to an extension, he will be a free agent in 2022.
What impact does Fitzpatrick’s deal have on Washington’s salary cap?
Fitzpatrick’s salary cap number is set to be $10,482,345 in 2021. There is $6 million in signing bonus, $3 million in salary, $600,000 in miscellaneous cap charges, and then the per-game roster bonuses. For cap purposes, 15 games are considered to be “likely to be earned” for a cap value of $882,345.
What options does Washington have with Fitzpatrick’s contract?
Entering training camp, many assumed that Fitzpatrick would be the Week 1 starter for Washington. However, with Taylor Heinicke on the roster, there is a genuine chance this could be an open competition for the starting role in Washington.
After Fitzpatrick was benched in 2020 for Tua Tagovailoa, could we see him off the roster for Washington before the 2021 season, and what would that look like in terms of Washington’s salary cap?
Could Washington trade Fitzpatrick?
If Washington decided to go with Heinicke as the starter, they could move on from Fitzpatrick. Doing so would not save Washington that much in salary cap, however. They would be left with $6 million in dead money, the signing bonus he received.
Still, they could relieve themselves of $4.5 million in cap space if they were to trade Fitzpatrick and his contract ahead of the season.
What would be the salary cap implication if Fitzpatrick was cut?
The situation with Fitzpatrick’s contract is the same regardless of whether he is released or traded. None of his salary is guaranteed, so he would leave just $6 million in dead money if he is released.
Ben Rolfe is a content director at Pro Football Network and is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). You can find him on Twitter @BenRolfePFN.