Ryan Fitzpatrick

Jets' Eric Decker admits Ryan Fitzpatrick standoff has hurt team's focus

Published Jun. 15, 2016 10:55 a.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

For the New York Jets, most of the offseason has been about their standoff with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. Players have made their feelings known with unquestioned support for Fitzpatrick, but at this point, it's wearing thin on some.

Eric Decker has been a backer of Fitzpatrick since he joined the Jets last season, and that hasn't changed. However, he's getting tired of answering questions about the situation and would like to focus on the more important aspects of the offseason.

"It's been a long process. I've talked about it too many times. He's still not here," Decker said via USA Today. "Honestly, it takes away from the focus on everyone else in this locker room. What our goals are, what we're trying to accomplish this season.

"It's just something out of all of our control. We just wanna focus on what we can control."

Decker didn't flat-out say it's a distraction, but when something takes away from a player's focus, it can easily be categorized as just that: a distraction. There's no question that the guys on the field have handled the situation exceptionally, supporting both Fitzpatrick and endorsing Geno Smith as the starter. But there isn't a single player on the roster that wouldn't like to see all of this end.

There's just no telling when that will happen, or what the result will be. Fitzpatrick seems content with retiring if he doesn't get the offer he wants, yet the Jets refuse to budge on their previous three-year, $24 million offer. It looks like the Jets are in for a long summer.

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