Dating back to his days as an NFL quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a favorite of both the media and fans.
The journeyman was a great quote for reporters and hosts, and lived up to the notion that backup quarterbacks are always the fan favorite on a team. Several of Fitzpatrick’s late-season runs — in Houston, New York, Buffalo and Miami — will are still remembered fondly by the fans of those franchises.
Since joining the Prime Video crew on Thursday Night Football, Fitzpatrick has remained a daring darling of the football community. The big-bearded QB was in Buffalo for the opening of Highmark Stadium, and celebrated with a traditional leap through a folding table.
It went over great in the building, but somewhere in New York City, FS1’s Nick Wright watched with bemusement. Friday on First Things First as the show aired a highlight of Fitzpatrick’s table-crash, Wright questioned the hype.
“We don’t need to promote this guy. It’s enough. He gets plenty of promotion,” Wright said.
“He made a nice career for himself. He’s rebranded from, like, the Harvard smart quarterback, which never really made sense because if you watched him play, he looked like he might not be able to add. He was just crazy reckless. He was talented, but crazy reckless. And now, just because he has a long beard and we see his chest hair, he’s charismatic? I don’t get it.”
Nick Wright isn’t feeling Ryan Fitzpatrick’s antics on TNF: “Just because he has a long beard and we see his chest hair, he’s charismatic? I don’t get it.” pic.twitter.com/NMHYAoEkpE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 18, 2026
When Wright questioned why FTF would even play the clip, anchor Kevin Wildes said it was a cool moment for Fitzpatrick to set off the tradition at the new stadium.
“Everybody does that in Buffalo. Literally everybody does it,” Wright responded. “We don’t typically promote other networks’ pregame shows, and if we’re gonna do it, let’s pick a good one.”
In typical Wright fashion, he offered this barb with a chuckle and a smile. But you could hear the old radio host coming out of him; somewhere not too deep down, Wright clearly thinks Fitzpatrick is way too beloved.
These were not the only shots Wright fired on Friday’s First Things First. Wright also joked about the supposed new rules of consumption on live television after ESPN viewers caught a glimpse of Pat McAfee seemingly smoking weed.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is an Editorial Lead at Awful Announcing overseeing digital content and special projects. He lives in Phoenix and has covered sports media for Awful Announcing since 2023.