Would Mark Sanchez Start If Jets Cut Him?

When the New York Jets traded up in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft to draft Mark Sanchez, they did so with the intent of him being their quarterback for the next decade. The Jets had instant success with Sanchez at the helm as they were able to make it to the AFC Championship game two years in a row. Despite not being able to claim their spot in the Super Bowl, hopes were quite high in New York for the future.

Unfortunately, things quickly took a turn for the worse. Sanchez continued to develop into a turnover machine and at one point, he lead the league in turnovers, amassing 52 turnovers throughout a two year span. The inability to hold onto the football eventually cost Sanchez his job, as New York decided to draft Geno Smith and anoint him as their starting quarterback.

With Sanchez sitting on the sidelines for the 2013 season, it seems as if it is inevitable that the team will part ways with the quarterback during the offseason. Due to the fact that he has such high salary demands, cutting Sanchez would do a lot of good for the Jets.

So, now what? Surely a quarterback that has such a high turnover rate wouldn’t have any opportunity with another team, right? Wrong. Apparently, there is still a need for the quarterback. A coach of a team that has an open spot at the quarterback position informed Brian Costello of the New York Post that they would certainly be interested if the Jets do decide to cut Sanchez. “We’d take Sanchez,” he said. “He’d be the starter as soon as he walked in the door for us.”

While this news might seem quite surprising, it shouldn’t be. Despite having his fare share of struggles throughout his career, Sanchez still has done some nice things. He has played a crucial role in the Jets success and playoff runs. He has won four playoff game, all of which were on the road. Sanchez also has played very well once he was put on the spotlight. In the six playoff games he has played in, Sanchez has thrown nine touchdowns, three interceptions, while finishing with a quarterback rating in the 90’s in both playoff runs.

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