“I’m a Big Believer in Setting Expectations Low”: Ryan Fitzpatrick on Proposing His Girlfriend at a McDonald’s

Even though Ryan Fitzpatrick is amongst the most intimidating-looking NFL athletes one might come across, the former Dolphins QB, in reality, has a great sense of humor. He never fails to tell a funny anecdote, and this was yet again proved when he hilariously revealed the story of how he proposed to his wife, Liza Barber, at a McDonald’s.

McDonald’s is undeniably one of the worst places to propose to your lady, but Ryan justified his decision by citing how it helps him keep his lady’s expectations low. Fitzpatrick argued that when you start your marriage journey from rock bottom, the only way is up as you age. “I am a big believer in setting expectations low…” said Ryan while explaining his tendency to “over-deliver” after “under-promising”.

That said, it has to be noted that McDonald’s was never the first choice location for Ryan. The anecdote, in fact, is a comedy of errors.

The story dates back to the early 2000s when Fitzpatrick had just joined the Rams as a rookie. The QB was so young that he couldn’t even grow a beard, but he knew he was ready to propose to Liz, settle down. The problem, however, emerged when a simple winter coat purchase from The Gap turned into a potential case of the payment being made twice.

Considering it was the era when bank account statements couldn’t be accessed through the phone, Liz decided to go back home to access the computer and check if the double payment had been made. Sounds pretty okay, right? Unfortunately for Ryan, the engagement ring he had bought for Liz was done through the same account that probably got double-charged.

Fitzpatrick feared that traveling back home and Liz checking the bank statement would make it obvious what he had done and ruin the surprise. So, the former NFL star decided he shouldn’t waste any time and proposed to her at the nearest appropriate location. Luckily for him, the ring was in the car.

Ryan cheekily suggested grabbing some food and spending some time near the lake. Liz, however, shot it down, citing the freezing cold. For his second attempt, he then asked his now-wife if she would be interested in having dinner at a fancy place. But this was also rejected by Liz, as she was in no mood for it.

The back and forth soon escalated into a slight argument until the duo settled on going to McDonald’s. And as we can predict, Ryan got down on his knees and asked the question while Liz was gorging in on her cheeseburgers. Luckily for Ryan, she said yes.

“So we go to McDonald’s. And so she’s there like, you know, chicken nuggets, cheeseburger there stuff all of her fingers. I pull out the ring in the middle of McDonald’s and propose to her. Thank God, she says yes, that’s how you get engaged at McDonald’s.”

Despite the odd location, netizens empathized with Ryan because it was never his intention. One user also noted that had Ryan known something like this would have happened, the QB would have surely gotten a reservation at a decent restaurant.

Ryan agreed and cheekily replied, “Applebees would have been a great choice.”

All that said, what really matters at the end of the day is the effort one puts into the relationship. Having been married for nearly 2 decades, the “Amish Rifle” has surely been successful in that regard.