Bills Mafia was right to party on Saturday night. And he had the full backing of an active, yet veteran Buffalo quarterback.

Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Washington Football Team was spotted at Highmark Stadium as the Bills crushed the Patriots in the Wild Card round. Video of the 39-year-old QB enthusiastically cheering and shirtless amid single-digit temperatures in Buffalo has gone viral. This act came as no surprise to Bills coach Sean McDermott, even though he never coached Fitzpatrick.

“From what I know of Fitz, it’s appropriate,” McDermott told reporters. “I think it’s great. For a guy who came here and supports the organization like that and is part of the environment. It’s pretty cool.”

Fitzpatrick, of course, played for nine teams during his 17-year career. But the team he spent the most time with – four years – was the Bills (2009-12). It was there that he started 53 games and enjoyed his first taste of personal success, spawning the nickname “FitzMagic”. What didn’t happen in Buffalo while Fitzpatrick was playing there was a playoff run.

That might explain why, with his own season ended long ago after a hip injury put him on injured reserve for most of 2021, he’s returned to one of his old homes.