Ryan Fitzpatrick admitted the didn’t agree with coach Bill O’Brien’s decision to bench him, but promised he wouldn’t be a problem for the Texans.
The veteran quarterback was told this morning he was being benched in favor of Ryan Mallett, so the Texans could test-drive the young quarterback with one NFL completion after trading for him just before the season.
“I don’t like it, and I don’t agree with it, but I respect the heck out of Coach O ‘Brien,” Fitzpatrick said, via Joh McClain of the Houston Chronicle. “It’s a tough pill to swallow, but now it’s all about being a good teammate. I will be supportive of Ryan and do everything I can to help him and help us get a win.”
Fitzpatrick hasn’t been what you’d call dynamic, but he’s not the only reason the Texans are 4-5. He’s just the only one in a high-impact position with a guy behind him who could potentially be a long-term answer.
He’s thrown 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a perfectly ordinary 87.1 rating. But he hasn’t been able to harness wide receiver Andre Johnson to the best of his abilities, and frankly has just been kind of meh.
“That was a very poor outing by me,” Fitzpatrick said of last week’s loss to the Eagles. “I’ve been on both sides of this situation, so I understand it. This is the first time I’ve been benched during the season since my rookie year (2005) when I probably shouldn’t have been starting.
“I’m not happy about it, but coach O’Brien made the decision and explained it to me. I’ll be a good soldier and support Ryan.”
That kind of attitude is part of what earned Fitzpatrick the job to begin with, as he has the kind of maturity a team starting under a new coach needed. He signed a two-year, $7.25 million contract this offseason, with $4 million guaranteed. If Mallett turns out to be the guy, the non-guaranteed portion of that deal next year is not out of line for a veteran backup, particularly one who plays nice when things go poorly.
