Inside the Ryan Fitzpatrick Deal: Can The Bills Afford To Realease Thier QB

While reading a few posts on the Buffalo Bills Superfan Facebook page I noticed quite a bit of dislike towards the play of Ryan Fitzpatrick as of late.  All this bad play on the field seems to have started about the same time he signed his six year deal with the team.  Now, the question is raised.  Can the Bills afford to release their QB?  Lets look into this deal a bit more.

Ryan Fitzpatrick signed a six year contract extension.  He became the first starting quarterback since Doug Flutie to do so.  He also signed what might become one of the most lucrative contracts in team history.  Here's the numbers.  After all that is what most fans want to know.


Length: 6 years
Value of Contract: $59 million
Signing Bonus: $10 million
Option: $5 million
Guaranteed Money: $24 million

Now this is where it gets tricky.  Fitz probably has already received the signing bonus.  In March he will get the $5 million option.  Now that is $15 million of the guaranteed money.  He only gets the rest of the money if he is still on the roster.  If the Bills release him this off season it only costs them $15 million of the $59 million value.

Now this gives them some play if they decide to cut ways with Fitzpatrick.  Which by the way I do not see happening.  Chan Gailey has already mentioned that he does not see them drafting a quarterback.  So, I personally think that they are happy with Ryan Fitzpatrick and will be keeping him on for the duration of the contract.  Well at least for the first few years of it.