Jets, QB Fitzpatrick End Contract Dispute

By ESPN

The New York Jets and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick ended their five-month contract dispute Wednesday. The two sides finalized a one-year, $12 million contract on the eve of the team's first training camp practice, sources told ESPN.

Another $3 million in incentives are included in the deal, which could boost the value to $15 million, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Jets increased their offer Wednesday from $9 million to $12 million, a source said, and gave Fitzpatrick until 7 p.m. ET to take the deal or the team would be "moving on."

The 11th-hour agreement culminated one of the strangest chapters in team history -- a long stalemate that dominated the Jets' offseason.

The Jets wanted Fitzpatrick and he wanted them, yet he refused to sign the offer that sat on the table for months -- three years, $24 million, including a total guarantee of $16 million.

To make the Fitzpatrick signing official, the Jets will have to create room under the salary cap. They have only $9.1 million in cap space, according to NFL Players Association records.

Broncos QB Competition Wide Open

With the Broncos' top decision-maker, John Elway, having declared the quarterback competition "wide open," the team will get down to the business of choosing a starter when training-camp practices begin Thursday.

And to make that call, coach Gary Kubiak said Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and rookie Paxton Lynch each will get an equal amount of playing time as camp gets underway.

"The bottom line is, we're going to give them equal reps and it's an open competition,'' Kubiak said. "We've got a plan ... so we'll get an equal look at all of them.''

Kubiak said that, initially, Sanchez will work with the starters and that Siemian will be the second quarterback in the rotation and Lynch the third. But he also said, "That will change on a day-to-day basis. ... We just want to give them all an equal opportunity."