Don't expect Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB for at least a while longer originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Ryan Fitzpatrick's debut season with the Washington Football Team has featured just six passes from the quarterback, and it sounds like he'll be stuck on that number for quite a bit longer — if not for the rest of the year.
On Sunday morning, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the veteran, who suffered a hip subluxation in the franchise's opening loss to the Chargers, "is still on crutches around the facility" and remains "weeks away from returning."
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On Monday, Ron Rivera provided this brief update on Fitzpatrick.
"I was told by the doctors that he'll get an MRI in a couple of weeks and they'll evaluate then," Rivera told the media on Zoom. "I gave no timeframe [immediately after the injury]."
When Fitzpatrick first went down on Sep. 12, the initial hope was that he'd be able to suit up within six to eight weeks of getting hurt. Going off of that window, he'd be in position to contribute against the Bucs following Washington's upcoming bye.
Rapoport, however, believes it's possible Fitzpatrick actually doesn't come back at any point.
"The rehab has gone slower than expected, and it is not a certainty that he makes it back onto the field at all," he wrote in his Sunday story.
When Fitzpatrick misses this weekend's matchup with the Broncos, it'll mark the seventh-straight contest that he's absent for.
Curtis Samuel, meanwhile, has been sidelined for five games due to a groin issue (and that number could soon become six) and William Jackson III was held out of the action versus the Packers. Those two players plus Fitzpatrick make up Washington's principle free-agent signings from this past offseason.
With Fitzpatrick's future in limbo, Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen will continue to sit first and second on the depth chart at quarterback.
And though Rivera doesn't seem all that interested in making a change and giving Allen a chance, Heinicke could certainly use a solid performance in Denver in order to convince Rivera that he deserves to remain the starter after the bye.
As for other unhealthy contributors, Rivera said that Brandon Scherff, who's dealing with a knee ailment, will be evaluated this week before it's determined when he'll go back in the lineup. Logan Thomas is eligible to come off of injured reserve yet it's unclear if that'll occur pre- or post-bye. And per Rapoport, Dyami Brown is "likely" to miss the trip to Mile High Stadium on Sunday.
