Ryan Fitzpatrick considered coaching before joining Amazon

Ryan Fitzpatrick recently announced his retirement from the NFL after 17 seasons, but football fans will still see plenty of him in 2022. The former journeyman quarterback joined Amazon as an NFL analyst, and he says it was either that or another football-related job.

Amazon said in a press release on Tuesday that Fitzpatrick will be part of its inaugural season as the exclusive provider for “Thursday Night Football.” He will work alongside fellow former NFL players Tony Gonzalez and Richard Sherman. In an interview with Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Fitzpatrick said he considered two post-playing career options — media and coaching. For family reasons, the 39-year-old did not want to jump right into the rigorous demands of coaching.

Fitzpatrick said he likes that Amazon’s NFL coverage is “fresh and new.” The schedule will also allow him to spend more time his seven kids.

“And, also, for me to be able to sit down with my kids and watch some of these games on Sunday,” Fitzpatrick told Marchand. “It is something I haven’t had a whole lot of time to do these last 17 years.”

Fitzpatrick played for nine different teams during his NFL career. One of the main reasons he retired is that his oldest child is entering high school, and he felt it was time to stop moving his family around.

“That kind of opened my eyes to life after football,” Fitzpatrick said. “And here we are.”

In addition to his leadership qualities, Ivy League education and prominent beard, Fitzpatrick is also known for having a great sense of humor. He should thrive in a TV setting.