Woody Johnson to Ryan Fitzpatrick: ‘Come back to the Jets’

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Woody Johnson has a message for Ryan Fitzpatrick: “Come back to the Jets.”

The organization has been in negotiations with the free-agent quarterback for several weeks but has not found a middle ground with his agent, Jimmy Sexton. Although the Jets’ owner made it clear that business is business, he’s still “optimistic” that a deal will get done.

“We’re speaking to Fitzy’s agent, Jimmy,” Johnson said Monday at the NFL owners’ meetings. “I hope we can come up with an agreement.

“Fitzy had his best year in his career with this coordinator, Chan [Gailey], and did well for the Jets. But the two sides have got to come up with an agreement that, obviously, both sides are happy with. So that’s what we’re working towards.”

It appears the Jets won’t budge from their offer, which is well below the going rate for starting quarterbacks this offseason. The Eagles gave Sam Bradford a two-year deal worth $36 million and Brock Osweiler received a four-year, $72-million contract from the Texans. So it’s no surprise that Sexton is using those parameters in his negotiations with the Jets.

Despite being far apart on money, Johnson believes there’s a good chance the Jets will be able to re-sign Fitzpatrick, 33, who threw a franchise-record 31 touchdown passes last season. “I kind of hope so because he did have such a good year,” Johnson said. “It seems like an ideal. I like him a lot as a person.”

Fitzpatrick, who has played with six teams, resurrected his career while leading the Jets to a 10-6 record.

Asked about a timetable for striking a deal, Johnson said, smiling: “Before the season. I don’t know how much offseason he needs.

“ . . . One of the things that Mike [Maccagnan] and Todd [Bowles] will have to weigh is the timeline — do they have a timeline or are they willing to let the time slip? Do they have alternatives? You know what your objective is, you know when the preseason and the season starts. And so you’ve got to get something going.”

The Jets already have thought about Plan B. They recently hosted former Redskin Robert Griffin III on a two-day visit, and Maccagnan said Friday that backup Geno Smith, the Jets’ starter in 2013 and 2014, “could definitely be a possibility” to return to that role.

Said Johnson: “We’ve got some guys right on the squad and so, if that’s the best, putting Geno or Bryce Petty in there, then that’s where we go.”

Johnson insisted he wouldn’t be disappointed if Fitzpatrick didn’t return. “I’ve been doing this for 17 years now . . . Really, in a kind of tactical sense, it is what it is. And so, in football, you have to learn how to deal with any situation that comes up.”

But Johnson also lamented the many missed opportunities to find a true franchise quarterback.

“We could have drafted Russell Wilson in the second round,” he said. “ . . . Great player. And we’ve had shots at players. But we didn’t take those. Hopefully, we’re getting better at evaluating talent and picking talent, particularly at quarterback.”

Fitzpatrick is no Russell Wilson, but he’s the guy the Jets, and Johnson, want to return. So what’s the owner’s gut feeling on striking a deal?

“I’m always optimistic,” he said.

Lions sign Kerley. Free agent Jeremy Kerley signed a one-year deal with the Lions worth just over $1 million, sources confirmed. The 27-year-old slot receiver was an integral part of the offense during Rex Ryan’s tenure from 2009-14, but Kerley quickly became a marginal figure when Bowles hired Gailey last offseason. Kerley caught a career-low 16 passes for 152 yards and was a non-factor on punt returns last season.