DAVIE, Fla. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins veteran strategist, has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, a source has confirmed to ESPN.
The Dolphins and the NFL conducted an initial contact search with no high-risk close contacts identified as of Thursday afternoon, a source told ESPN, but that process will continue. Fitzpatrick trained fully on Wednesday and was not on the injury report, but he did not train on Thursday afternoon, indicating that the positive COVID-19 test was a recent surprise.
Rookie Tua Tagovailoa is the starting quarterback for the Dolphins, but Fitzpatrick has been called up twice in the fourth quarter to play what coach Brian Flores likened to a ninth-inning reliever role. Fitzpatrick led the Dolphins to a 26-25 comeback win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday after a 34-yard swell coupled with a 15-yard face mask penalty earned the game-winning field goal.
The Dolphins signed Jake Rudock to its 53-man roster on Thursday and is expected to be Tagovailoa back up on Sunday. Tagovailoa, Rudock and exhibition group quarterback Reid Sinnett fully rehearsed on Thursday.
NFL Network first reported Fitzpatrick’s positive test.
The Dolphins will capture a playoff berth with a win over the Bills. They could still make it to the playoffs with a loss, but would require a loss to either the Cleveland Browns (vs. a Steelers team that rests the main starters), Indianapolis Colts (vs. Jaguars), or Baltimore Ravens (vs. Bengals). The Bills, who have won the AFC East but can earn the No. 2 or No. 3 seed based on the week 17 results, were reluctant to play their starters.
Fitzpatrick, 38, is 4-3 as a starter this season, throwing for 2,091 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions.