Ryan Fitzpatrick's transformation was incredible.
Ryan Fitzpatrick's Change in Physical Appearance Draws Attention originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Ryan Fitzpatrick may have been retired from the NFL since 2022, but he will always be a subject of interest among sports fans, thanks to his lengthy and consistent pro career and his iconic look.
On Tuesday, Fitzpatrick drew the attention of fans once again after the NFL posted his headshots throughout his career. Fitzmagic played 17 seasons in the league for nine different teams, the most with the Buffalo Bills (4). He spent his final year with the then-Washington Football Team.
Fitzpatrick, who was selected 250th overall by the St. Louis Rams (now the Los Angeles Rams) in the 2005 NFL Draft, underwent a massive change in his appearance throughout the years — particularly with his facial hair.
He arrived as a 23-year-old quarterback without a beard and grew it every year, eventually retiring as a 39-year-old with a signature look.
"the evolution of @fitzmagic14 facial hair," the NFL wrote in the caption of its post, which featured 10 headshots of Fitzpatrick.
Naturally, fans were quick to comment on his transformation, particularly how he looked without his beard early in his career.
"Clean-shaven Fitzmagic looks almost identical to Jim Breuer," a commenter wrote. Another one took notice of how well he aged, writing, "Like a fine wine."
"His beard had a glowup when he joined tampa," a fan claimed.
"Thought it was a lineman till I saw the beard," a supporter admitted, highlighting the fact that they didn't recognize Fitzpatrick without his facial hair.
Another one stated, "looks so different with a beard."
"Fitz without the beard looks like older brother of Drake Maye," a sixth poster joked.
"Beard just keeps growing," a social media user added.
Several fans couldn't help but also mention how Fitzpatrick played for several teams in his career, as the headshots posted by the NFL showed him in almost all different jerseys. For what it's worth, Fitzpatrick holds the league record for the most teams to start a game for with nine.
Related: Russell Wilson's Change in Appearance Through 13+ Years in NFL Catches Attention
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
