Bills announce they are bringing some “Fitzmagic” to the AFC Divisional Round

Ryan Fitzpatrick – with or without a shirt – will be the Bills Legend of the Game

Just two days after Kyle Williams brought Bills Mafia to their feet in a screaming frenzy as he yelled into a microphone the iconic lines from Hall of Fame head coach Marv Levy’s “Where else would you rather be?” speech, the Buffalo Bills did the only thing they could in an attempt to keep the crowd rallied and rowdy at Highmark Stadium. They announced that their Legend of the Game for the Divisional Round playoff game this coming Sunday would be none other than former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick was the Bills’ quarterback for four seasons, 2009-2012, and, while he never brought the Bills to the postseason – or any of his eight other teams for that matter – the quarterback-turned-analyst is much loved in Western New York. While he played for the Los Angeles Rams (then the St. Louis Rams), Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Commanders (then the Washington Football Team), it would appear that Fitzpatrick loved his time in the snowy, cold theater that is Orchard Park best.

The man returned, as a fan, and sat in the outdoor stadium with his sons to watch the Bills beat the New England Patriots back in January 2022. No big deal, he’s a fan. An image that has become an icon for Bills Mafia as the former Bills’ QB was photographed shirtless in the freezing temperatures as he screamed along with the rest of the stadium as current Buffalo quarterback, Josh Allen, completed a perfect game with no turnovers, no incompletions, and every drive ending in points as the Bills beat the New England Patriots (the only AFC East team that Fitzpatrick never played for) by a score of 41-17.

During his time in Buffalo, Fitzpatrick played in 55 games, throwing for 11,654 yards and 80 touchdowns. He scored two more touchdowns on the ground – one each in his first and last seasons as a Bill. Fitzpatrick’s four seasons in Buffalo is the longest the iconic journeyman stayed in any NFL city, and despite just a 21-32 win-loss record, the quarterback has become a legend to fans who lived through Buffalo’s 17 seasons without a postseason appearance.

Fitzpatrick himself never played in a playoff game – anywhere, ever – so fans may feel that they relate to the 42-year-old retired quarterback. And, of course, anyone who is willing to publicly root for their Bills, is going to be embraced by fans in Buffalo. The fact that he does it in his own, unique, brash way makes it just that much more fun.

Fitzpatrick, who now works as a pre- and post-game analyst for Amazon Prime, posted in the week leading up to the Wild Card round that he wanted to return to Buffalo. While the NFL didn’t make that happen, the Buffalo Bills are making sure he is there for the Divisional Round – and the former quarterback hinted as much to fans on Monday.

Whether “Fitzmagic” wears a shirt or not, is yet to be determined, but it’s a guarantee that a good portion of the fans in the stands for Sunday’s playoff game will be shirtless despite the predicted sub-10-degree weather. And when the legend walks to the end zone and grabs the mic – regardless of his clothing choice for the moment – all of Bills Mafia will once again lose their collective minds, shake the stadium, and hope that some of his “magic” carries onto the playing field where the Buffalo Bills will try to beat the Baltimore Ravens to advance to the AFC Championship Game for just the second time in Josh Allen’s career.