The quarterback competition for the New York Jets ended before a winner could be declared. Mark Sanchez went down with a shoulder injury in the preseason, making the decision to start Geno Smith an easy one for Rex Ryan and company. The team never named a winner as one was chosen by default. However, Sanchez is insisting that he won the competition before the injury even occurred.
Sanchez is at risk of missing the entire season. After a visit to Dr. James Andrews, Sanchez's shoulder injury was ruled as a right labrum tear that would likely require surgery. In an effort to play at some point during the 2013 season, Sanchez is going to try rehab over surgery to see if it gets him back on the field. The quarterback told NFL Network's Rich Eisen that right now he is rehabbing and there are no plans for surgery.
Sanchez is likely making this move in order to keep his roster spot secure with New York. Reports began to surface that he was finished for the season and could be completely finished with the Jets as well. The quarterback is certainly not angry watching Smith take the field in his place, but Sanchez also believes that he earned the right to start.
"What I'm really disappointed about is that I got hurt because I won the competition," Sanchez said. "There's no doubt. It was a done deal."
To clarify, the Jets never came out and said who the winner was. Some Jets beat writers had Sanchez as the winner while others predicted Smith was the better option for the team. Could Sanchez produce better results? Some fans might be crying for another change at the quarterback position after the rookie tossed three interceptions in the fourth quarterback against the New England Patriots, resulting in a meltdown and loss for the Jets.
If Smith is able to bounce back and start producing wins for New York, no matter how healthy Sanchez is, he will not see the field. The quarterback can rehab all he wants but Ryan will stick with the rookie as long as he is playing well. Behind Smith, Matt Simms and Brady Quinn are the lone quarterbacks on the roster. The Jets better hope the Sanchez injury is all they have to deal with at that position.
