Ryan Fitzpatrick will start for the Miami Dolphins in their NFL opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Dolphins head coach Brian Flores confirmed quarterback Fitzpatrick as Miami's week one starter for the September 8 clash, ahead of Josh Rosen.
The news – following Thursday's 16-13 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints – will leave Rosen second in command after his arrival from the Arizona Cardinals.
Fitzpatrick and Rosen had been battling for the top spot throughout training camp but ultimately Flores decided to go with the veteran option.
Coach Flores has named Ryan Fitzpatrick the starting QB for Week 1 against the Ravens.#FinsUp pic.twitter.com/1zF6CxyVYq
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) August 30, 2019
"I told both quarterbacks," Flores told reporters. "I feel it's the best thing for the team, puts us in the best position to win. That's how we'll go moving forward.
"After a thorough evaluation of OTAs, training camp, games, practice, we felt like that was the best move for this team going into the season. Ryan has done a really good job from a leadership standpoint, from an execution standpoint and we feel like that's the best thing for this team."
Fitzpatrick, 36, started seven games for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season and has also played for the Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans and New York Jets during his 14-year career.
Meanwhile, Rosen – the 10th-overall selection in the 2018 draft out of UCLA – completed 55.2 per cent of his passes and threw 11 touchdowns, along with 14 interceptions in 14 games as a rookie last season.