The Washington Football Team has put its fans on a wild ride this season.
The team is now 6-6 following a four-game win streak and a 2-6 start that seemed to eliminate any talk of playoff contention.
That has all changed, with a lot of the credit going toward the improved play of Taylor Heinicke.
But Washington fans will recall that Heinicke was not the starter entering the season.
That duty fell to Ryan Fitzpatrick, who was injured in the season-opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
He did not even make it to halftime because of a hip injury.
An initial timeline had Fitzpatrick missing about two months, but he has yet to return this season.
A report came out Tuesday officially declaring him out for the season.
Sources: Washington Football Team QB Ryan Fitzpatrick is undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his hip, a measure that will help him heal. The procedure makes it official — Fitz’s 2021 season is over. He played in just one game, then suffered a hip subluxation.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 7, 2021
Fitzpatrick is undergoing surgery that will end his season for good and stop any questions about a potential return.
This seems to be the best move for both sides.
Fitzpatrick Out For The Year
There was no need to rush Fitzpatrick back if he was still dealing with complications from his hip injury.
He is 39 years old and is an NFL veteran who has suffered a number of injuries throughout his career.
So it’s not like he is a young player who could rush through rehab.
Can confirm the @nflnetwork report that Ryan Fitzpatrick is undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his hip. Makes it official: now be done for the year.
— John Keim (@john_keim) December 7, 2021
At the same time, Heinicke is playing like a legitimate starting option and is fighting to make sure he wins the job heading into 2022.
Heinicke has seven touchdowns during the current winning streak and has 18 on the season.
Fitzpatrick was never a long-term option in Washington.
He was just supposed to hold down the job until the team could figure out a plan to land their next, younger starter.
It turns out that player may have been on the roster all along in Heinicke.
NEXT: Washington QB Taylor Heinicke Has Extra Incentive To Win Each Week
