After signing a two-year, $11-million deal with the Miami Dolphins, Ryan Fitzpatrick showed up to the team’s first practice in what he described as “peak off-season form” in large part because of his offseason diet which includes cake.

The former Gilbert Highland High School quarterback explained that a large amount of birthdays in recent months has led to a weight gain for the now 36-year-old. 

“The thing with me is I have seven kids so in January we have three birthdays,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’ve got a family birthday party which includes cake, we’ve got a friend’s birthday party which includes cake so that’s six times in January.”

While the six parties may have been enough to cause the weight gain, Fitzpatrick’s explanation didn’t stop there as another stretch of birthdays came just two month after. 

“We got three birthdays in March, March 1st, March 6th and March 11th which again that’s a tough stretch,” Fitzpatrick said. “That’s cake six out of 10 or 11 days. Then we got an April birthday so it doesn’t slow down.”

The 14-year veteran will look to overcome the excess off-season weight as he appears to be the number one option for the Dolphins after the team traded former starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans. 

Fitzpatrick is coming off two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he started 10 games. The Dolphins are the Arizona native’s eighth team, making him the first ever quarterback to play for eight teams. 

His former teams include the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 2005. 

Despite the weight gain, Fitzpatrick will look to get back into in-season shape in what one reporter described as being “a cake walk”.

“Now that the birthdays are behind me, I think I’m going to go from peak off-season form to peak in-season form,” Fitzpatrick said.

What Greg Moore and Kent Somers’ would do with the No. 1 pick

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Arizona Republic columnists Greg Moore and Kent Somers explain what they would do if they were the Cardinals and held the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Michael Chow, Arizona Republic