Ryan Fitzpatrick will be the likely Jets starting quarterback in Week 1. (Getty)
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The circus apparently has not left town when it comes to the New York Jets.
News broke Tuesday that assumed starting quarterback Geno Smith was sucker-punched by linebacker IK Enemkpali in the locker room, resulting in a broken jaw for the former West Virginia star.
He’ll be out 6-to-10 weeks after surgery and journeyman veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick is likely to get the call as the starter.
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Here’s what you need to know about Fitzpatrick:
1. Fitzpatrick Is Entering His 11th Season
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Fitzpatrick is entering his 11th season in the NFL and first with the Jets.
He has also played for the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans.
He has thrown 123 touchdowns compared to 101 interceptions and last season played with the Texans.
The Jets traded for Fitzpatrick in March.
2. He Played College Football at Harvard
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Fitzpatrick played college football at Harvard and was named the Ivy League MVP in 2004, as well as garnering all-conference honors.
He started his junior and senior seasons and completed 384 of 641 passes (59.9 percent) for 5,234 yards, 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also ran for 1,487 yards with 16 TDs on 365 carries in 30 career games.
Fitzpatrick ranks 2nd on Harvard’s career list for pass completions, touchdowns, yards passing and pass completion percentage.
3. Fitzpatrick Scored 1580 On the SAT & Was Named One of the Smartest Athletes
Fitzpatrick majored in business at Harvard, no easy feat.
In high school, he scored a 1580 on his SAT.
When asked by Sporting News a few years back, when he made their list of smartest professional athletes, what would he be doing if he wasn’t a football player:
Probably (have) done the Wall Street thing for a few years and then maybe branched out a little bit. But finance is what I’d be involved in.
He added:
I’m an Apple technology junkie.
The Sporting News named Fitzpatrick the 5th smartest professional athlete in 2010.
4. He Was a 7th Round Draft Choice In 2005
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Fitzpatrick parlayed his two productive seasons into a 7th round draft choice by the St. Louis Rams in 2005.
Prior the draft, Fitzpatrick scored extremely high on the Wonderlic Test, an intelligence exam often given by employers to potential employees. The NFL has used it for years.
It was first reported he had finished the test in just 9 minutes and scored a perfect 50. But a later report in the Wall Street Journal stated Fitzpatrick had scored a 48. Either way, not too shabby.
Fitzpatrick is one of 20 Harvard players to be selected in the NFL Draft.
In 2005 with the Rams, became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards in his debut.
5. Fitzpatrick Is Married With 3 Children
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Fitzpatrick, 32, is a native of Arizona.
The 6-foot-2 signal caller is married to wife Liza Barber. The couple has 3 young children.
With the Texans in 2014, Fitzpatrick was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 13. He was also named the Rookie of the Week during Week 12 of the 2005 season.
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