Ryan Fitzpatrick showed up to his locker with a haircut and newly trimmed beard. The media asked questions on Wednesday, at the same time wondering what spurred the sudden desire to get rid the excess facial hair - a fresh start, a cathartic shedding, a new look?
"No, I think it was more just me getting tired with having to pick corn out of it," Fitzpatrick said, thoughtfully. "When I eat pancakes in the morning with the syrup and stuff, it would be there for days. My wife asks me, 'did you have pancakes this morning?' 'No, it was four days ago.' No more of those questions, which will be good."
Fitzpatrick's beard began to take on a life of its own, even earning him the Dr. Seuss-inspired nickname "The Lorax" by Arian Foster. This week, he took time to "chop it down piece by piece."
"I'm kind of mad you guys didn't tell me I looked like that," Fitzpatrick told the media gathered in front of his locker. "I finally had some time to look in the mirror and thought it was disgusting. Decided to trim it down a bit."
"He looks different," J.J. Watt said. "I just said on the Tennessee conference call, he looks a little bit less werewolfy, so he looks a little bit more normal I guess. I think he looks fine."
Fitzpatrick isn't the only one enjoying his new look. His daughters seem to like it too.
"'Dad, you have the longest neck in the world.' That was one comment," Fitzpatrick said. "The girls, they like it actually. They weren't scared, so that was good."
As for Fitzpatrick's sons, ages eight and six, their reaction wasn't as positive.
"The boys want me to grow it back," Fitzpatrick said.
