Ryan Fitzpatrick is still the Jets' starting quarterback.
After suffering torn ligaments in his thumb against the Raiders, the quarterback practiced fully Wednesday and was named the starter for New York's matchup with the Jaguars on Sunday.
Fitzpatrick and backup Geno Smith, who suffered a bruised shoulder in Fitzpatrick's absence last Sunday, both participated in throwing drills on Wednesday. Sporting a white glove, Fitzpatrick had no trouble taking snaps from center, per the New York Post. He was also giving handoffs with both hands.
This decision must be considered a crisis averted for the Jets and their fans. While Smith put up good numbers (265 yards, two TDs, one INT) coming off the bench, he once again showed flashes of immaturity and unawareness in crunch time, indicating that he's still the same old Geno.
On the other semi-injured hand, Fitzpatrick has the been the consistent, serviceable presence at quarterback for which the Jets have been searching for years. Losing him for a considerable amount of time, in the midst of a heated AFC wild-card race, would have been a major blow for Gang Green.
Whether FitzMagic will be fully healthy on Sunday remains to be seen -- handing the ball off repeatedly to Chris Ivory with a bum thumb is no fun. But the Jets clearly feel a hampered Fitzpatrick is a better option under center than a healthy Geno.
