Ryan Fitzpatrick has received $21 million of deal
December 24, 2012 - 8:51 AM
By Mark Gaughan

Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has received $21 million of the six-year, $62 million contract he signed in October 2011. It seems obvious he's not going to see the rest of the money in the wake of the Bills' disappointing season.

For the record, here are the pertinent details on Fitzpatrick's contract.

It will not cost the Bills any more to cut him than to keep him on the team. Actually, they will save almost a half million dollars.

Fitzpatrick is due a $3 million roster bonus in March. If he gets cut before that bonus is paid, then he will count $10 million against the Bills’ salary cap in 2013. That's a lot, but not so much that he will have to be retained.

If Fitzpatrick is on the roster, his cap number for 2013 will be $10.45 million. Fitzpatrick's base salaries going forward are $4.25 million in 2013, $4.35 million in 2014, $7.2 million in 2015, $8.75 million in 2016 and $9.45 million in 2017.

Fitzpatrick's per-year salary average of $9.8 million made him the 19th highest paid quarterback in the league this season.