Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to prove why he is a Bills mob for life

He went on to play for nine different NFL teams during his career, but retired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick still bleeds Buffalo Bills blue and red.

Showing his devotion to the Bills Mafia, Fitzpatrick was memorably photographed shirtless at Highmark Stadium in sub-zero temperatures as he cheered on his former team in the 2021 AFC Wildcard round against the New England Patriots.

Now Fitzpatrick, a former seventh-round draft pick, steps in to help undrafted rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen.

It all started when Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN reported that the NFL fined Andreessen “$4,421.29 for unnecessary roughness (using a helmet) during last week’s win over the Seahawks during a third-quarter comeback tackle.” What makes the retroactive penalty somewhat absurd is the fact that Andreessen’s actions were not punished by the officials on the pitch.

Clearly angered by the NFL’s punishment of his teammate, longtime Bills forward Reid Ferguson reposted Getzenberg’s report on the social media site now known as X, adding the message “Stealing Money.”

It was here that Fitzpatrick, also known as FitzMagic, came to Andreessen’s defense. In response to Ferguson’s post, the 41-year-old The Bills graduate offered to foot the bill for the undrafted rookie.

“Give me the message Joe and I’ll pay the fine for him… I can’t take Mr. Buffalo’s money,” Fitzpatrick said.

wrote Andreessen, a Western New York native the ultimate Cinderella story last season. Invited to a tryout at Bills’ rookie minicamp, the linebacker signed a contract and earned a spot on the 53-man roster. Playing under a contract that pays $795,000 per season, he has appeared in four games this season.

Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick became a multimillionaire after a 17-year NFL career. After signing with the Bills as a backup in 2009, Fitzpatrick eventually passed Trent Edwards for the starting job. He became FitzMagic in 2011, leading Buffalo to a 3-0 start to the season that ended with a thrilling victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

RELATED: Joe Andreessen’s incredible journey from the Bills lawn to the players’ parking lot

Shortly thereafter, the Bills awarded the quarterback a six-year contract extension reportedly worth $60 million. His tenure in Buffalo ended after the 2012 season when head coach Chan Gailey was fired. He passed for 11,654 yards, 80 touchdowns and 64 interceptions in a Bills uniform.

Fitzpatrick has remained associated with the Bills organization over the years. He is good friends with former center and current radio commentator Eric Wood.

He never won a Super Bowl and was unable to end the playoff drought, but Fitzpatrick became a Buffalo legend, and for good reason.

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