Commander Country

QB Fitzpatrick: 'Swag' on 'First Day of School' in Washington

Zampese on Fitzpatrick: 'He’s got a great deal of swag ... I love him.'

Mike Fisher

Just when you think there is nothing news that Ryan Fitzpatrick can show you, he shows you his "first day of school'' picture at Washington Football Team minicamp.

A revelation? Join the club. Ken Zampese has known Fitzpatrick for 15 years and is on his second go as the QB's position coach. And yet, Fitz always brings something new.

And always brings "swag.''

“He’s such a unique look and a unique character and his delivery is as dry as can be, and he just drops these one-liners and bombs on guys and they don’t even know what happened,” Zampese said. “He’s got a great deal of swag ... I love him.''

Considering the fact that Fitz was just ranked no better than the No. 23 QB in the NFL, the WFT is loving him, too. Coach Ron Rivera and staff believe that his one-year, $10 million deal offers roster stability at the position, something the club did not have in last year's otherwise-successful campaign.

Of course, even at minicamp, he's not perfect ...

But about that "swag''?

The "first day at school'' pose is a gem. So is the way the QB has blossomed, says Zampese, from their time together when Zampese was the quarterbacks coach for the Bengals in 2007 and 2008. And now Zampese is the quarterbacks coach for the Football Team with Fitzpatrick in Washington in 2021.

"It's like a new guy,'' said Zampese. “It’s been so long since we have been together. You can see the experience, the different teams he has been with. The concepts he has had, the coaches he has had. I think he has an extreme desire to excel and be in the top group of quarterbacks and compete at that level.”

Fitzpatrick, at age 38, also, it seems, has an extreme desire to amuse.

"He’s authentic through all of it, which is the important part,'' Zampese said. "He’s got a lot to give, he’s got a lot of experiences and he doesn’t worry about what anybody else thinks. He’s just Ryan.”

READ MORE: WFT Players on NFL Top 100?

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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983, is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.

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