If it were up to DeSean Jackson, Ryan Fitzpatrick won’t head back to the sidelines once Jameis Winston returns to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following his suspension.
Speaking on this subject in an appearance with NFL Network, Jackson didn’t mince words. While he makes it clear he has no say in the matter, he strongly implies that his coaches would be making a mistake to pull Fitzpatrick.
“He’s been playing on fire right now,” Jackson said. “With the way the team is rallying behind him and just playing lights-out football, you have to kind of honor it. You know what I’m saying? You can’t take the hot man out. You got the hot fire right now. It’s like ‘NBA Jam.’ We used to play ‘NBA Jam’ — whoever’s got that hot fire shot, you got to keep shooting, man.
“… He’s putting on a show,” Jackson continued. “It’s not my decision but I’m sure Dirk and [offensive coordinator Todd] Monken and the guys that make those calls, they’ll make sure they stay on fire until that fire is out.”
It’s worth pointing out that Jackson is enjoying tremendous personal success playing with Fitzpatrick, along with the entire offense. In the first two weeks of the new season, he’s caught nine passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including a gorgeous 75-yard score on Sunday.
For his part, Fitzpatrick leads the entire league with 819 passing yards while completing an absurd 78.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and just one interception.
So, while Jackson has a personal interest in keeping that hot fire blazing, he’s also not wrong about what a mistake it would be to pull Fitzpatrick in favor of Winston. Unless, of course, the Fitzmagic disappears in Week 3 when the Bucs take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on “Monday Night Football.”