Quarterbacks Gardner Minshew II and Ryan Fitzpatrick are spicing up what would otherwise be an unexciting iteration of “Thursday Night Football” in Jacksonville with some very on-brand trash talk.
Both signal-callers have iconic facial hair, but Fitzpatrick — whose beard spills out of his helmet and mask — says men with mustaches would be bearded, if they could pull it off.
“The mustache versus the beard, I mean, I think the beard is the cooler look,” the former Jets QB told reporters on Tuesday, via the Associated Press. “And I think guys that grow mustaches a lot of times have patchy sides for their beards, so they just stick with the mustache. But my wife appreciates the mustache trimmed up a little bit more, but she does hate the beard too. So I guess that’s a lose-lose for me.”
The comment is a not-so-subtle jab at his 24-year-old mustachioed opponent, who is off to a hot start to his sophomore season and has completed 75.4 percent of his passes for 512 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions.
Quarterbacks Ryan Fitzpatrick and Gardner Minshew IIGetty Images“I’ll let mine speak for itself,” Minshew said of his trademark mustache in response, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter. “But I’m gonna have respect for my elders. Especially when they’re much, much elder.”
FItzpatrick, 37, is playing for his eighth team through 16 seasons in the NFL. His two appearances in 2020 have been mixed, and he has posted a 66.2 completion percentage for 519 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. He is expected to start until the Dolphins (0-2) feel comfortable debuting 2020 first-rounder Tua Tagovailoa, who is recovering from a hip injury that ended his final season at Alabama.
Minshew and the Jaguars (1-1) enter this Week 3 Florida showdown favored by a field goal. Kickoff is set for 8:20 p.m. ET at TIAA Bank Field and the game will air on NFL Network.
