What It Means:

The base value of the deal is $24 million with $12 million coming in the first year and over $15 million guaranteed. While the $12 million in available incentives makes the deal look more reasonable, The New York Daily News' Manish Mehta called them "fugazi incentives," indicating there is little chance they would ever be reached. A one-year deal with an option for 2017 could be the compromise both sides are waiting for, but this saga looks destined to drag out well into the summer.

Fitzpatrick had a very productive campaign in 2015. Among passers with at least 100 drop backs, he ranked 13th in Passing Net Expected Points per drop back.