In his second season with the Jets, Ryan Fitzpatrick has a bigger arsenal of weapons on his offense. The QB threw for a franchise record 31 touchdowns last season, but CBS Sports' Trent Green thinks Fitzpatrick is in an even better position this year because of the Jets' offseason acquisitions.
"The greatest thing at quarterback is you want as many weapons at your disposal as you can possibly get because you're trying to find matchup issues, you're trying to find where the best mix-match is for you." he said. "When you have weapons like Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker you already know that you have a matchup on the outside. Now all of a sudden, you move Matt Forte out of the backfield, and that was always something I looked for as a quarterback."
Fitzpatrick will not play in the Jets' final preseason game of the year against Philadelphia, but rookie QB Christian Hackenberg will. Todd Bowles elected not to play the 2016 second-round draft pick until the MetLife Bowl, where he made his NFL debut. The Penn State product had an up and down performance, throwing for 105 yards including one touchdown and one interception.
"I think it's a real positive thing," Green said. "I'm always concerned when guys are thrown in there too fast so I think it's a good thing for him. You're talking to a guy that took five years to get on the field. I was an eighth-round draft pick and I learned so much from being a backup."
Hackenberg, who started all 38 games under center in Happy Valley, will continue to learn under the tutelage of the 12-year veteran.
"If Christian takes advantage of the fact that Fitzpatrick was a similar guy, who really had to pay his dues and learn the system and the league, I think he can learn a lot in that situation," said Green.
Hackenberg will split reps with QB Bryce Petty Thursday night in Philadelphia in the Jets' last preseason game of the year.
