It’s Ryan Fitzpatrick’s Beard vs. Gardner Minshew’s Mustache on “Thursday Night Football”

The Florida facial hair showdown is nigh

Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Miami Dolphins throws a pass during practice.
Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Miami Dolphins, and Team Beard, during practice in September.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images

A Florida facial hair showdown is coming tonight when the Miami Dolphins head across the state to take on the Jaguars in Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football.

The matchup for the Dolphins (0-2) will pit veteran Miami quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard against the mustache of Gardner Minshew, the second-year QB of the Jaguars (1-1).

Earlier this week, the quarterbacks engaged in a lighthearted war of words regarding their chosen forms of facial hair, as The Washington Post detailed.

“I think the beard is a cooler look,” Fitzpatrick told reporters. “I think guys that grow mustaches a lot of times have patchy sides for their beards, so they just stick with the mustache.”

Informed of the 37-year-old Harvard grad’s barb, Minshew, 24, had a clipped response.

“I think I’ve shown I can grow a beard with no patchy sides. But, you know, I’m going to have respect for my elders,” Minshew said. “Especially when they’re much, much elder. Be respectful.”

With both QBs coming off losses where they passed for more than 300 yards and tossed multiple touchdowns, it is sure to be a hair-raising battle on TNF.

And there’s this …



The Jaguars are favored by three points in the game.

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