The New York Jets quarterback situation continues to get fun. For anyone who assumed Geno Smith would be the guaranteed starter for the 2014 season, think again. The Jets are not committing to a quarterback yet for next year and continue to bring in more to add to the drama.
The New York Post confirms the Jets have re-signed backup Matt Simms for another year. The current roster for the Jets now consists of Smith, Simms, David Garrard and Mark Sanchez. Along with those four, general manager John Idzik noted the team will also explore quarterback options in the draft.
Bringing back Simms is no surprise. The team had exclusive rights to the free agent, so he truly was not going anywhere. Simms did his best last season to work up from the No. 4 quarterback to the No. 2 option and even saw some playing time in place of the struggling Smith. He had 156 yards on the season and one touchdown as a backup.
The Jets re-signing Simms would not be noteworthy is Idzik had not made his comments regarding the team's quarterback situation. Remaining uncommitted to any player on the roster is drawing speculation to any move the Jets make.
"We'll look at quarterbacks, yes, we will look at quarterbacks," Idzik said, via the New York Post. "We're all excited about having Geno as part of the New York Jets, but we will always look to improve any position."
Bringing back Simms could hurt the future of Sanchez. After missing all of the 2013 season, the quarterback is well-aware that he is on thin ice in New York. Smith did enough to earn a return and apparently so did Simms. So where does this leave Sanchez after his shoulder heals? It has been rumored the Jets could release the quarterback before paying him. His contract is a large hit to the salary cap and plenty of teams would show interest if New York made him available.
The Jets will likely also consider taking on a rookie to help build depth on the roster. Johnny Manziel has certainly made his case to play in New York, telling reporters during the Heisman Trophy presentation that he would love to play for the Jets. However, Manziel could easily be drafted No. 1 overall and the Jets will not take a quarterback in the first round. A player like Aaron Murray or AJ McCarron could be the team's likely targets.
Fans should expect the Jets' quarterback situation to keep getting more interesting. When the new year for the NFL begins, the Jets will likely first decide the future of Sanchez and then move on from there.
