New York Jets May Trade or Release Mark Sanchez Before Start of Season
By Josh Sanchez
The New York Jets have an intriguing quarterback situation heading in to camp, but there is a growing belief that the team could be parting ways with one of the signal-callers before the start of the season. Mark Sanchez is expected to start camp as the team’s No. 1 quarterback on the depth chart, but he could fall off of the roster completely if he is not able to win the starting job.
Sanchez will be competing with rookie second-rounder Geno Smith, who the Jets reportedly love, and veteran David Garrard. If Sanchez can’t hold them off, he could be released or traded by the start of the regular season.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated wrote this in his Monday Morning Quarterback column:
"I think if Geno Smith wins the Jet starting job to start the season, I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if the Jets traded Mark Sanchez for a low-round draft pick or cut him before Week 1."
Brian Costello of the New York Post seemed to be more direct in saying Sanchez will not start the season on the Jets roster:
"The best scenario for the Jets is: Smith shows he’s capable, Garrard proves he’s healthy and another team suffers an injury at quarterback during the preseason. Then, the Jets could trade Sanchez to the quarterback-needy team — after agreeing to eat about $6 million of the $8.75 million coming to him.The only way I think Sanchez is a Jet when the season begins against Darrelle Revis and the Buccaneers is if Garrard gets injured and Smith can’t figure out an NFL offense."
The Jets would almost be forced to eat a majority of Sanchez’s salary if they wanted to trade him, because that contract is extremely unattractive for potential suitors.
Sanchez will be fighting for his life during camp and preseason. All of the pressure will be on and it looks like the work he puts in will be more of an audition for other teams rather than a fight to win the Jets starting gig.