New York Jets owner Woody Johnson has a Ben Zobrist Jerseymessage for his free agent quarterback.

''Come back to the Jets,'' Johnson said Monday when asked about the team's negotiations with Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick comes off ht... best season of his 11-year career, one in which he led the Jets to a 10-6 record even though he was brought in last offseason to back up Geno Smith. Fitzpatrick got the starting job in training camp when Smith's jaw was broken by a teammate's punch, and he performed so well that he nearly got New York back into the playoffs.

His timing was exquisite: Fitzpatrick is in line for a huge payday.

The problem for the Jets is they haven't found the number of dollar signs to satisfy the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick. And while there's no longer a big market for him after all the QB movement this month, he is, after all, a veteran passer coming off a strong performance.

''These things take time,'' Johnson conceded in a break from the NFL owners' [url=http://www.officialraysshop.com/authentic-3-evan-longoria-jersey.html]http:... ''He's a priority. ... I've been in this 17 years now, so I am not disappointed in a tactical sense.

''In football, you've got to be able to deal with it. The reality is the NFL reality, and you've got to make the decisions. Some are pleasant, some not.''

The prospect of allowing Fitzpatrick to leave is not a pleasant one to Jets fans who saw him throw for 3,905 [url=http://www.officialmlbrangersshop.com/authentic-3-russell-wilson-jersey.htm... Wilson Jerseyyards and 31 touchdowns. With the enigmatic Smith and unproven second-year player Bryce Petty the other current quarterbacks on the roster, Fitzpatrick certainly seems like the best option.

But he also has [url=http://www.officialmlbrangersshop.com/authentic-17-shinsoo-choo-jersey.html... led a team to the playoffs, and the Jets haven't made the postseason since 2010.

Johnson remains ''optimistic'' about re-signing Fitzpatrick, though when asked about a timeframe, Johnson said ''before the season.''