Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tests positive for COVID-19, out vs. Bills
If Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa struggles as he has over parts of the last month, Miami won’t have his backup available to relieve him in the regular season finale.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has tested positive COVID-19 and will miss the regular-season finale Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Palm Beach Post. The person requested anonymity because there has been no official announcement. NFL Network was the first to report the news.
The Dolphins announced later in the day that they were placing Fitzpatrick on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
Fitzpatrick, who has been the backup for the majority of the season, stepped in during last week’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders after Tagovailoa was benched and helped lead the Dolphins to a 26-25 victory.
The Dolphins also signed quarterback Jake Rudock to provide depth, according to Rudock’s agent, Mike McCartney.
The Dolphins (10-5) are currently the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture, but still need to beat the Bills in order to clinch their postseason berth, which would be their first since the 2016 season. Miami can still get in if it loses, but would need help from other teams to make that happen.
Fitzpatrick practiced Wednesday, but did not practice Thursday.
Since Fitzpatrick tested positive, the NFL’s contact tracing protocol mandates that any players deemed close, high-risk contacts of Fitzpatrick self-isolate and undergo additional testing.
Tagovailoa practiced Thursday, according to local media. He has completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,453 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions this season, but Miami’s offense has stagnated at times with him under center.
In the game against the Raiders, coach Brian Flores benched Tagovailoa after he completed 17 of his 22 passes for only 94 yards with one touchdown.
In relief, Fitzpatrick threw for 182 yards and a score on nine completions, including a 34-yard completion to receiver Mack Hollins that helped set up the game-winning field goal.
Fitzpatrick, 38, has completed 68.5% of his passes for 2,091 yards, and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions in nine games this season.
