The 38-year-old quarterback who played with many of Tom Brady's teammates in Tampa Bay understands why Brady has been revitalized with the Buccaneers.
Ryan Fitzpatrick still has Super Bowl aspirations, ones he has dreamed about since childhood. Although those will not come true this Sunday, he is still involved in the biggest game of the year.
As part of this year’s virtual Radio Row, Fitzpatrick is working with Mountain Dew to highlight their Super Bowl commercial, which offers $1 million to the first person that correctly tweets the number of Mountain Dew Major Melon bottles in the ad. Fitzpatrick joked that he holds an advantage when counting the bottles, though it has nothing to do with his Harvard University degree.
“My odds are pretty good with all the kids I have running around the house,” said Fitzpatrick, who is a father of seven. “I’m going to put each of them on separate TVs to count all those Mountain Dew bottles.”
Fitzpatrick’s season with the Miami Dolphins was cut short after contracting COVID-19, and the 38-year-old is currently a free agent. He has played for eight teams in his 16-year NFL career, and now seeks a new home for the upcoming season.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Fitzpatrick discussed the Super Bowl matchup, as well as shared insight regarding his future in football.
Sports Illustrated: You played against New England in Tom Brady’s final regular season game as a member of the Patriots, which was a come-from-behind Miami win courtesy of your game-winning touchdown pass. This was quite a stark contrast from earlier that season in Miami when the Patriots won 43-0. As a divisional rival, did you ever get the sense that Brady and Bill Belichick were ready to go their own separate ways?
Ryan Fitzpatrick: I would say they had a pretty good run together [laughing]. The success they were able to have together, it’s unprecedented and I’m not sure it will ever happen again.
I didn’t know a whole lot of guys in that locker room, so it’s hard to have a feel for some of the other teams when you’re not there. But with this business, even with a quarterback that is considered the greatest of all time, this happens. It happened to Brett Favre, it happened with Peyton Manning. If you play long enough, you eventually end up going separate ways.
SI: Keeping the focus on Brady, I know he is still very fond of the late Dick Rehbein, the Patriots quarterbacks coach who advocated for Belichick to draft him. We have now reached the autumn of Brady’s Hall of Fame career. What do you think is the chief responsibility of Bucs quarterbacks coach Clyde Christensen? What is he giving Brady on a daily basis at practice?
RF: Part of it is just providing content, whether that is film clips or having open discussions. A lot of times the best part of being in that quarterback room is bouncing ideas off one another and talking through ideas. That’s really helpful, especially when you’re older. It’s those fresh ideas that help. I’m sure Brady is looking for as many different perspectives as he can in that room.
SI: Brady and Belichick had a fairly straightforward dynamic with the Patriots, with Belichick as the coach and Brady as the player. Bruce Arians has made Tampa into Tom Brady’s team, which is a difference from Belichick’s approach. What else have you noticed as a key for Brady’s success as a Buccaneer?
RF: From the experience I had playing in Tampa, I can speak to some of his teammates. Playing with guys like Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, O.J. Howard, Cam Brate, and RoJo [Ronald Jones] in the backfield, I think Brady is really enjoying this system. They’re putting the ball down the field, and it’s refreshing because it’s different and new for him. I know the competitors they have in that locker room, especially on the offense side of the ball. I know the nastiness of Ryan Jensen and the cerebral nature of Ali Marpet. It’s a fun group to play with, and Brady is enjoying getting to play with his new teammates.
SI: Travis Kelce and Rob Gronkowski are both incredible players. Clearly Gronk does not have the same explosive features as he once did prior to a litany of injuries, but he still plays an important role for the Bucs. And Kelce, clearly, is a massive piece for the Chiefs. If you had one or the other for their entire career, who would you choose as a teammate—Gronk or Kelce?
RF: That’s a tough one. Both are awesome teammates and know how to keep it light. It’s not fair to compare just this past year, like you said. The year Kelce has had might be the best year a tight end has ever had.
As a quarterback, if you had either one of those guys in their prime on your team, you’re feeling pretty good about your chances to win a football game.
SI: There was already a scare with the Chiefs barber. Are you worried about anyone testing positive before Sunday’s game?
RF: This hasn’t been talked about enough—if you’re one of the head trainers for a football team, you’re sitting there every night, uneasy, just waiting for these results. There is stress for everyone in the country, but from looking at the perspective of this game, I’m very proud of what the NFL has been able to do this year. I didn’t think we’d make it through even half the season. A lot of credit needs to be given to the medical experts and trainers of every team.
SI: You have the unique distinction of starting for eight different teams throughout your NFL career. You’ve been part of a couple of 10-win seasons, but the postseason has eluded you. Should we expect to see you again next season, seeking that playoff berth?
RF: I still really enjoy playing the game. It’s a little bit more difficult now in terms of my family situation and all of that, but yes, I enjoy playing and I want to keep playing. I’m thankful that my family is very supportive of that.
SI: And what is your Super Bowl prediction?
RF: My prediction? I’m going 28-24, but I want you to tune in to see which team wins.
Note: This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.