Former NFL quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick credits opportune timing for his rising stardom as a studio analyst for Amazon Prime Video.
“I got so lucky,” Fitzpatrick told Front Office Sports last week at Radio Row in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX.
Fitzpatrick, who retired following the 2021 season, was hired as part of Amazon’s inaugural Thursday Night Football broadcasting team ahead of the 2022 season, when the streamer took over the package’s exclusive rights. The pre- and post-game crew also includes former NFLers Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth, who also retired the same year, alongside Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez and host Charissa Thompson.
“We’re fresh off the field, and Amazon is looking for some analysts,” Fitzpatrick said. “And we walk right into this gig.” Fitzpatrick feels like he has a “unique perspective that a lot of people don’t have because he played on nine different teams in a lot of different cities” during his 17-year career.
But making sure their analysis is about the action on the field is what Fitzpatrick said is most important. “It’s not about us; it’s about the game,” he said. “And just having fun, being authentic, showing our personality, showing our love for the game of football.”
Fitzpatrick also does some work for Sky Sports—most recently serving on the U.K. broadcaster’s Super Bowl LX team. He said he came away from a trip to Dublin last offseason “blown away with how knowledgeable” European NFL fans are.
“I don’t talk about it any differently because I think I have such a respect for them and their knowledge and their passion for the game that I want them to be able to hear what I’m saying in my perspective and understand it because they do,” Fitzpatrick said.
Money-Wise
Fitzpatrick, who made nearly $98 million in career contract earnings while playing for nine different NFL teams, said both former and current players “have to be careful” with how they invest their money away from football.
“I always try to pump the brakes on that one a little bit, because there are some great success stories, and there are some of these stars—LeBron James, whatever he touches, is going to turn to gold,” Fitzpatrick said. “But I think there’s also a different way to do it that isn’t so much in the limelight, that is a little more broad and diverse.”
Fitzpatrick said he suggests “not to jump into too many different things, especially during your playing career. Because during your playing career, football has to be the main thing. It has to be what you’re worried about. That’s going to be your bread and butter, your moneymaker.”
