Report: Fitzpatrick would take less money elsewhere to spite Jets

Ryan Fitzpatrick is reportedly so incensed by the New York Jets' refusal to meet his contract expectations, that he's willing to give up money on what will likely be his last big pay day.

Fitzpatrick is prepared to rebuff the Jets' offer on principle, even if it means taking a lesser contract to play elsewhere, team sources told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

It may be a negotiating tactic by Fitzpatrick, as the Jets have firmly taken their near three-month stalemate with the quarterback into the court of public opinion last week.

The Jets' three-year, $24-million contract offer to Fitzpatrick was widely reported, and it's possible this is Fitzpatrick's retort.

However, it may be an empty threat, as there seems to be no other viable options for Fitzpatrick around the league at this point of the offseason, and certainly none that offer a guaranteed starting job and a playoff-ready roster like the Jets do.

The standoff between the Jets and Fitzpatrick has stretched far longer into the offseason than anyone anticipated, and although a reunion is arguably the best option for both parties, a resolution doesn't appear to be in sight.