What's wrong with Ryan Fitzpatrick's voice? Amazon host gets laryngitis during 49ers-Seahawks 'Thursday Night Football'

David Suggs

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What's wrong with Ryan Fitzpatrick's voice? Amazon host gets laryngitis during 49ers-Seahawks 'Thursday Night Football' image

Viewers of Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" broadcast were greeted with an unusual sight — and sound — prior to the program's Week 6 offering.

The "TNF" studio crew consisting of Andrew Whitworth, Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman, Charissa Thompson, and, most notably, Ryan Fitzpatrick offered musings on the duel between the 49ers and the Seahawks, set to take place mere moments after the broadcast went off air.

There was a bit of surprise during the presentation's showing, however. Fitzpatrick appeared to be felled by some sort of throat ailment, one that had him sounding less like a football analyst and more like a DMX impersonator.

Here's what you need to know.

49ERS-SEAHAWKS RECAP: Brock Purdy's 3-TD showing pushes Niners to win | Geno Smith smashes tablet against head after costly INT | How San Fran RB room shakes out after Jordan Mason, CMC injuries

 

What's wrong with Ryan Fitzpatrick's voice?

It's unclear quite what's happening with Fitzpatrick's vocal cords at the moment. The 17-year NFL veteran wasn't listed on Prime Video's injury list prior to Thursday's contest, but he started suffering voice cracks and obvious signs of laryngitis during the pre-game show.

He didn't reveal any official diagnosis on his Twitter page, either.

By the end of the pre-game show, he was using hand signals for an over/under parlay segment instead of talking.

His tone remained as gravelly as ever during TNF's halftime segment. Fans were plenty aware of his toils, which included abruptly cutting his analysis short after mere seconds of talking.

Some onlookers pointed out the similarities between FitzMagic's raspy tone and that of a certain presidential candidate:

Others, meanwhile, expressed concern for the longtime backup, offering well wishes as well as a number of potential remedies, including honey and cough drops. 

Fitzpatrick couldn't find a reprieve over the course of Thursday's contest. He was eventually ruled out (more or less) with vocal issues, taking to X — the website formerly known as Twitter — to detail his attempted recovery.

He was largely inaudible for Prime Video's post-game recap. Given the crackling nature of his prior vocal attempts, that might've been for the best.

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.