Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald got a chance to see the finer points of Miami’s contract agreement with new quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Dolphins structured Fitzpatrick’s deal so that only $1.5M of his $5.5M salary for 2020 will be guaranteed.
Translation: Miami can walk away from Fitzpatrick at their leisure without having to worry about the ramifications of compromising the 2020 salary cap, which is a huge win for the Dolphin.
The structure of the contract is likely a good illustration of some of the philosophical differences the team may have struggled with during their courtship of Teddy Bridgewater.
In order to leave New Orleans, it was reported that Bridgewater wanted “starter money” and he wanted guaranteed cash over multiple seasons. Provided that is true, there’s no wonder why the Dolphins and Teddy couldn’t come to terms.
The Dolphins are in a freeing, but delicate situation: they need to give themselves flexibility to not get boxed into a quarterback until they find the right one to lead them into the future.
The Ryan Fitzpatrick contract is a great start.
