NFL

Stingy Broncos may push Ryan Fitzpatrick back to Jets

Ryan Fitzpatrick may be running out of options other than the Jets.

The Broncos have had discussions with the free-agent quarterback’s representatives but do not want to pay the salary Fitzpatrick is seeking, according to an ESPN report. The report said the Broncos could revisit Fitzpatrick down the line.

The Jets and Fitzpatrick are engaged in a standoff in their negotiations. Fitzpatrick would like to be paid a contract similar to what other starting quarterbacks are getting — in the $16 million- to $18 million-per-year range. The Jets do not want to pay that for a 33-year-old who has bounced around the league. Their offer is around $7 million per year, according to sources.

The Jets have told people they are not overly concerned with their quarterback situation even if Fitzpatrick does not sign, according to sources. The feeling inside the Jets is they can win with a good defense and a strong running game that they bolstered last week by signing Matt Forte.

Good defense and a running game is the formula the Jets played with for years under Rex Ryan. It worked in 2009 and 2010, when the team twice made the AFC Championship game, but it fell apart. The team has not been in the playoffs since 2010, and fans have endured poor play at the position from Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith and Michael Vick in recent years.

That changed last year. Fitzpatrick had an outstanding season for the Jets in 2015 after taking over as the starter in training camp when Geno Smith had his jaw broken by IK Enemkpali. Fitzpatrick threw for a team-record 31 touchdowns and nearly 4,000 yards. The Jets’ offense gained the most yards of any offense in team history.

Fitzpatrick’s hot hand did cool in the final game of the season, in which he threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter against the Bills, a loss that kept the Jets out of the playoffs.

If the Broncos are not interested in Fitzpatrick, it is hard to see him having anywhere else to turn. The Browns, 49ers and Rams also are in need of a starting quarterback, but there has been no indication any of those teams is interested in Fitzpatrick.

The Broncos traded for Sanchez, the former Jets quarterback, but still are in the market for another quarterback. They are in trade talks with the 49ers for Colin Kaepernick, according to reports, but those talks don’t seem to be going anywhere. Fitzpatrick is considered the top free-agent quarterback left.

Robert Griffin III also is available. The Jets met with Griffin on Friday and Saturday, but he left without a deal. The only quarterbacks on the Jets’ roster at the moment are Smith, who started in 2013 and 2014, and Bryce Petty, the team’s fourth-round pick a year ago.

A source described the meeting with Griffin as the team doing its due diligence, and re-signing Fitzpatrick remains the plan. It is possible the team is considering signing Griffin as competition for Smith and Petty to back up Fitzpatrick.