Brandon Marshall has made it publicly known how badly he wants the Jets to re-sign Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The quarterback and the organization have been at an impasse this offseason as they remain far apart on negotiations for a new contract following Fitzpatrick's career year.
Marshall, who thrived as the No. 1 receiver and formed a potent duo with Eric Decker in his first year in New York, wants Gang Green to get a deal done as soon as possible.
As for a way to help keep Fitzpatrick in New York, Marshall joked about one possible scenario.
"Maybe we have a fundraiser or something," Marshall told TMZ Sports with a laugh. "Let's have a fundraiser to raise some money."
Marshall, 32, caught a career-high 14 touchdown passes from Fitzpatrick last season. The receiver hauled in 109 catches for 1,502 yards and was a big fan of working with Fitzpatrick.
"I love [catching passes from Fitzpatrick]," Marshall said. "I love it. He is that smart."
As for the Harvard graduate, Marshall said Fitzpatrick doesn't boast about his smarts often because "he's not that kind of guy."
Fitzpatrick threw a franchise-record 31 touchdown passes in 2015 while completing 59.6 percent of his passes. New York surpassed expectations, finishing 10-6, but failed to make the playoffs thanks to a nightmarish three-interception game against the Bills from the quarterback in the regular season finale.
Still, Fitzpatrick proved his worth in the 2015 season, but the Jets aren't willing to meet his contract demands. The quarterback wants to make more than backup money, while the Jets hold the advantage over him due to the fact that he wouldn't be guaranteed a starting job anywhere else.
New York's other options aren't pretty, however, as Geno Smith has been a train wreck in his two healthy seasons, Bryce Petty is unproven and Brian Hoyer doesn't appear to be the answer.
Marshall and his teammates all seem to love Fitzpatrick. The receiver and Decker teamed up to send a video to Fitzpatrick during the first day of Jets' offseason workouts on Monday, showing him what they were working on.
"I love Fitzpatrick," Decker said, via the Wall Street Journal. "Would love to get to work with him if he is going to be the quarterback of this team."
The signal caller was also seen at Game 3 of the Rangers' first-round Stanley Cup playoff series along with Decker, Marshall and a rowdy Nick Mangold on Tuesday.
Fitzpatrick may have his team's support, but thus far the Jets aren't budging in their negotiations with the quarterback.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
