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Ryan Fitzpatrick will end the season as he began it -- as the New York Jets' starting quarterback. Jets coach Todd Bowles announced Tuesday that Fitzpatrick will start the final game of the regular season against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
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The Bills apparently will have a new starting quarterback as well, as EJ Manuel is expected to replace Tyrod Taylor as Buffalo's starter for Sunday's game, multiple media outlets reported. Rex Ryan had said earlier in the week Taylor would remain the Bills' starting quarterback for the final game, but Ryan was fired as head coach on Tuesday and replaced on an interim basis by offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.
The decision to start Fitzpatrick was expected, and he won the Jets' starting job almost by default.
Bryce Petty, who was scheduled to start the final four games, suffered a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder on Saturday and is unavailable. It left Fitzpatrick and rookie Christian Hackenberg as Bowles' only options to start the finale.
Hackenberg has not been on the active roster in any of the Jets' first 15 games, but he will be in uniform as the Jets' No. 2 quarterback Sunday.
Bowles initially said Hackenberg will not play unless Fitzpatrick gets injured, but later left open the possibility that Hackenberg could see mop-up duty late in the game.
Hackenberg was a second-round pick in the 2016 draft, and if he doesn't play Sunday, he will become the first quarterback since 2008 to be drafted in the first or second round and not play a single snap as a rookie.
"Why does he have to play now? It's the last game of the season," wide receiver Brandon Marshall said of Hackenberg, according to ESPN. "He'll have a whole offseason to get better and work hard. Why would you want to do that to that kid?
"Just because we're having a bad season doesn't mean you throw guys out there just because and say, 'OK, you're ready to play.' Let the kid sit there and continue to learn from Fitz, sit in a room and approach the offseason with guns blazing and he'll be fine. You don't need to throw the kid out there right now. Fitz is our best option to win. We're trying to win a ballgame."
Fitzpatrick, who signed a $12 million contract in July, has been benched twice this season. His last start came in a 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 5.
He is 2-8 as the starter this season and has thrown 17 interceptions, tied for the second-most in the league, and just 10 touchdown passes.
The decision by the Bills to not start Taylor is fueled by an injury guarantee in his contract. If Taylor were to be injured against the Jets and unable to pass a physical on March 11, the Bills would owe him $27.5 million.
