Will Ryan Fitzpatrick be ready to play Sunday at Houston after last Friday's surgery? The QB and his head coach are among those with tentative thumbs up on that question.
"Everything went fine," Todd Bowles updated reporters today on the status of Fitzpatrick's left thumb.
Will he be able to participate in Wednesday's practice at the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center? "We'll see. I'm hopeful he will be."
And what about Sunday against the Texans? Will he be starting?
"I'm hopeful, yeah," said the coach.
Fitzpatrick had no comment, since he was home still resting from the procedure to repair his left thumb ligament. But he was optimistic from consulting with the team's doctors and trainers beforehand that he would be able to continue to play as he had been since injuring the thumb early in Game 7 at Oakland.
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It's all a matter of dealing with any lingering pain Fitzpatrick might have from the surgery, Bowles said, as well as showing no dropoff in taking snaps under center from Nick Mangold or handing the ball off despite the wrapped, braced, gloved left hand that he'd been playing with the past two games.
Of course, the Jets need contingency plans. If Fitzpatrick can't practice any day this week, "he's not playing," Bowles said, adding that he's got confidence in calling on Geno Smith to start or play against the Texans.
"I'm fine with Geno starting," Bowles said. "He's made great progress, he learned a lot under Ryan, he threw the ball well at Oakland for the most part. We'll move forward."
But none of that will even start to be known until Wednesday, when the bearded one is expected to return to the facility and head out for practice.
