ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Football Team knows exactly what it's getting in quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick: a guy who can move the ball, will be fun and at times maddening, and can serve as a mentor. Fitzpatrick will also turn 39 during the season, which is why his arrival doesn't signal the end of Washington's quarterback search.
Fitzpatrick is what everyone thinks he is: a stopgap quarterback who can help a team win now while waiting for someone else to help later. And that player could still come through the draft.
Had Washington pursued a different quarterback -- whether it be former first-round picks such as Mitchell Trubisky (Bears), Marcus Mariota (Raiders) or Sam Darnold (Jets) -- it would possibly have been more tempted to see if that guy could still develop into a quality starter.
Washington might prefer a mobile quarterback, but it's not a prerequisite.
"One of the beauties of what we do offensively is we're not stuck on one particular style of play for our quarterback," Rivera said. "We're stuck on the right kind of person."
As Washington searches for that person -- one who would represent an upgrade over its current group of Alex Smith, Kyle Allen and Taylor Heinicke -- here's a look at scenarios that could play out this offseason:
Run it back with Alex
Rivera said he has talked with Smith, and bringing the veteran back as the starter remains a possibility because there's a solid chance Smith wants to keep playing. If Washington can't find an upgrade over Smith and is confident he can hold up over a 16-game season, it will stick with him. The team would build up other areas of the offense -- the line and wide receiver -- and possibly draft a quarterback to develop, then aggressively pursue another quarterback in 2022.