On Sunday, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported that Washington Football Team quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was “still on crutches, weeks away from returning.”
Six weeks from suffering a hip subluxation, Washington starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is still on crutches, weeks away from returning. It’s Taylor Heinicke going forward: https://t.co/1QqLXFH1rc
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 24, 2021
On Monday, head coach Ron Rivera offered the latest update on Fitzpatrick, stating he would be receiving an MRI in two weeks. From that point, the team would determine the next step for Fitzpatrick.
One note from Rivera’s presser on QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: he’ll undergo an MRI on his hip in two weeks. After that Wash will know the next step to take with him.
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 25, 2021
Two weeks would be interesting timing considering Washington would be coming off its bye week and preparing to play Tampa Bay. If Fitzpatrick gets good news from his MRI, he is presumably still weeks away from playing for Washington.
David Chao, a former NFL team physician with the Chargers and goes by @ProFootballDoc on Twitter, offered a more firm timeline for Fitzpatrick.
Still on crutches likely means #Fitzmagic is at least a month away. Maybe he can accelerate after next MRI rules out AVN (blood flow issue to hip ball). https://t.co/oi85iMIoIM
— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) October 24, 2021
That would mean Taylor Heinicke remains Washington’s starting quarterback unless Rivera turns to Kyle Allen. Remember, after the 2020 season, Rivera stated he felt Allen could’ve accomplished what Alex Smith did in Washington’s run to the playoffs.
Even if Fitzpatrick returns for Washington’s final five-game stretch against the NFC East, the team likely faces an uphill climb to return to the playoffs.
