According to Michael Vick, he was not benched. However, by the looks of things, he was. The quarterback took over for Geno Smith and started a handful of games. However, after getting sacked five times and throwing an interception against the Buffalo Bills, Smith took back over the starting spot and then got the nod again against the Miami Dolphins. By the looks of things, the Jets will stick with Smith for the remainder of the season considering they are already eliminated from the playoffs, so what does that mean for Vick?
The veteran is simply making the best of a bad situation. Likely understanding that he will not play again in 2014, Vick is stressing that the Jets did not bench him, but instead made moves to help their future.
"I don't look at it as me getting benched, first and foremost, to correct you," Vick said, via Dom Cosentino of NJ.com. "But if you want to look at it that way, you can. You're going to think what you going to think, I'm going to think what I'm going to think. And I think what I think is most important. I just look at it as an opportunity for this organization to figure out the things that they need to figure out and see what they need to see. Does that answer your question?"
Vick is not wrong in his assessment. Head coach Rex Ryan said that starting Smith against the Dolphins was a move with the future in mind. While Ryan and general manager John Idzik could both be out come the end of the season, Smith has a chance to stick around. Getting the start for the rest of the season is a chance for him to prove why he deserves to keep playing in New York.
Vick knows his time is done. He hinted at the media earlier in the season that he did not see a future in New York and planned to go to a team that would allow him to be a starter. Vick's contract expires in just a few weeks and the Jets never viewed him as a long-term option to begin with. These next few weeks will dictate whether or not Smith has the chance to be that player or not.
The Jets will get a quarterback this offseason either via the draft or free agency. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport has the Jets linked to a trade for Robert Griffin III. They could also opt to draft a rookie like Jameis Winston to push Smith into improving. New York has a lot of options and paths they can take the franchise in the upcoming offseason.
