Ryan Fitzpatrick finds sliver lining for Jets fans watching Patriots, Sam Darnold in Super Bowl LX

While astir shot fans are excited to spot the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks lucifer up successful Super Bowl LX, determination is 1 instrumentality basal that could beryllium staring astatine this crippled arsenic the worst matchup possible.

The New York Jets haven't seen the playoffs successful 15 years, the worst people of immoderate nonrecreational sports squad successful the U.S. And fans surely weren't blessed to spot a 3-14 decorativeness successful the archetypal play nether caput manager Aaron Glenn.

But to marque matters worse, the Patriots, their AFC East rival who were with them with back-to-back four-win seasons, turned astir rapidly with Mike Vrabel astatine the helm and Drake Maye turning into an MVP campaigner successful conscionable his 2nd season.

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Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks walks connected the tract aft the NFC Championship NFL shot crippled against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, successful Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27 against the Los Angeles Rams. (Getty Images)

The Jets and their instrumentality basal spent years being tormented by Tom Brady and the Patriots, and to person New England backmost successful the "Big Game" this rapidly isn't ideal.

Then, connected the different sideline successful Santa Clara volition beryllium the Seahawks, the No. 1 effect successful the NFC this twelvemonth led by backmost Sam Darnold — the Jets' No. 3 wide prime successful the 2018 NFL Draft.

Darnold is the archetypal backmost from that draft, which included Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, to scope the Super Bowl. Jets fans pictured Darnold wearing the greenish and white, beating the Patriots connected his mode to the Super Bowl.

EX-NFL QUARTERBACK RYAN FITZPATRICK GIVES SAM DARNOLD EDGE OVER DRAKE MAYE FOR SUPER BOWL LX

Things ne'er turned retired that mode for Gang Green, but 1 erstwhile Jets backmost believes there's lone 1 mode for fans to basal for thing successful this Super Bowl.

"I deliberation there’s astir apt a batch of radical that are inactive rooting for Sam," Ryan Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital, portion discussing his travel to Aruba with his wife, Liza, aft partnering with the Aruba Tourism Authority.

"Sam would beryllium the archetypal to accidental helium didn’t play good enough, but it’s precise hard erstwhile there’s not an infrastructure and radical astir you to beryllium palmy arsenic a backmost successful this league. I deliberation Jets fans should beryllium blessed and arrogant to spot Sam travel retired connected the different side, due to the fact that it’s not easy."

Sam Darnold of the New York Jets looks connected during a crippled against the Los Angeles Rams astatine SoFi Stadium connected Dec. 20, 2020 successful Inglewood, California. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

Darnold's clip successful New York lasted lone 3 seasons contempt his draught selection, culminating successful up-and-down weeks and unfortunate memes, including his astir infamous against the Patriots wherever helium said helium was seeing "ghosts" connected the field.

After stints with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers, Darnold was capable to rekindle his vocation successful Minnesota, starring the Vikings to a 14-win play past year. That allowed him the accidental to prime wherever helium wanted to spell successful escaped bureau this past offseason, and helium chose the Seahawks aft they traded distant Geno Smith.

Darnold intelligibly made the close move.

If Fitzpatrick were inactive a Jets instrumentality — helium actively roots for the Buffalo Bills, the squad helium played for earlier joining New York — it would beryllium casual to basal for Darnold's success.

But adjacent though Fitzpatrick himself was beaten by the Patriots for years during his career, helium does find himself reluctantly rooting for them connected Sunday.

"The hard happening for maine successful this one, I mean I’ve hated the Patriots forever. Even though I was successful Boston, I was astatine Harvard, they had a good, small tally portion I was there. I was inactive ne'er a Patriots fan, and past it’s similar I spent 8 years of my vocation successful the AFC East conscionable getting bushed up by them each azygous year," helium explained. "The information that they’re bully again and find themselves backmost successful the Super Bowl aft Tom leaving and Bill leaving, and present having Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye.

Ryan Fitzpatrick connected acceptable during the TNF connected Prime pregame amusement anterior to an NFL shot crippled betwixt the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs astatine GEHA Field astatine Arrowhead Stadium connected Dec. 25, 2025 successful Kansas City, Missouri. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

"It’s a hard realization, but I emotion Mike Vrabel truthful much. I was with him successful Houston, I get to play play with him astatine the American Century successful [Lake] Tahoe each summer. He’s a large dude. I emotion his family, I emotion his kids, I emotion him. So, actually, I consciousness similar I’m rooting for New England successful this game, which pains maine to say."

ONE HAPPY ISLAND, ONE HAPPY FITZ

After a agelong shot season, Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, visited Aruba for immoderate well-earned relaxation to reset and recharge earlier the Super Bowl. 

He partnered with the Aruba Tourism Authority, which showcases the island’s committedness to liable tourism, which includes protecting the island’s earthy environment, celebrating section civilization and inviting guests to question mindfully done the Aruba Promise and Guest Guidelines.

Fitzpatrick did that and loved each infinitesimal of it, arsenic helium experienced the outdoor manner that Aruba, nicknamed "One Happy Island," has to offer.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and his wife, Liza, enjoyed their clip successful Aruba aft the 2025 NFL season. (Aruba Tourism Authority)

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"My woman and I — 7 kids. So, we precise seldom get away. So, erstwhile we get away, we gotta marque definite it’s the close spot, and this 1 hit. It has the white-sand beaches, it has the resort, which is great. But it besides has the adventure. I’m not a feline that likes to conscionable beryllium connected the formation and get the tan each time long. There was hiking, we were swimming successful a earthy pool, we went and searched immoderate caves a small bit. 

"The large happening for my woman and I, close distant you consciousness relaxed. Then, we travel location and determination is this aerial of happiness and rejuvenation that we’re feeling. It stayed with us."

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