The New York Jets had quarterback issues all season in 2012, but after bringing in new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, the team is ready to air it out next season and according to reports from the coach himself, starter Mark Sanchez has the inside track for the job.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Sanchez has a chance to be the starter for the 2013 season despite the constant media speculation about what the Jets will do, as Mornhinweg said in an interview that the quarterback has the "leg up" when it comes to the competition. The coordinator was speaking to the local media for his first question and answer session and gave some clarity on the quarterback situation.
"Mark will probably have just a little bit of a leg up, it would appear," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said Monday.
Mornhinweg was brought in after Tony Sparano was fired and he is planning on bringing a more passing-oriented offense than the Jets used last season. Mornhinweg spoke about newly signed quarterback David Garrard and Sanchez and also referred to some players, "a select few", that should be number one on the depth chart heading into training camp.
Garrard will have a shot at the starting job after signing officially with the team on Monday and joins Tim Tebow and Greg McElroy as the players beside Sanchez. Last season Sparano and head coach Rex Ryan said that they were planning on using Tebow as a Wildcat option with Sanchez, but the team barely used him, while Sanchez threw more interceptions than touchdowns and was eventually benched for McElroy.
Tebow was on the field for about 70 plays and gained 102 rushing yards while completing six-of-eight passes for 39 yards and zero touchdowns. He also was used as a punt protector and in other roles on offense. Mornhinweg spoke about Tebow as well and although he did not say whether he would have a chance to win the starting job, saying that he had a "long discussion" about the offense and that he has given "an awful amount of thought" about putting Tebow on the field in more productive situations.
While the team has not explicitly said so yet, all signs appear to a split between the quarterback and the Jets, as he said at a speaking function Saturday night in Naples, Fla., mentioning that he isn't sure where he will be playing next year.
"I may not know where I'm going next, but I know what's guiding me," he told Naplesnews.com.
The Jets have been linked to Brady Quinn and the team also could go after Matt Cassel if he is released by the Kansas City Chiefs, who acquired Alex Smith in a trade with the 49ers. Mornhinweg may be the last chance for Sanchez in New York, as he is known to work with quarterbacks and if he can't return to the form he had when the team went to back-to-back AFC championships, he could be done after the 2013 season.
Sanchez had an extremely disappointing year in 2012, giving up the ball 26 times, including an embarrassing butt fumble against the Patriots that resulted in a touchdown. Eventually he was benched for McElroy in a game against the Cardinals after throwing three first half interceptions and now he has the chance to regain his confidence. The main reason he is still with the team is due to the fact that his salary is guaranteed and his cap hit would hurt the team.
Mornhinweg utilized a West Coast offense while with the Eagles and he will be using a similar scheme with the Jets, meaning Sanchez will need to find his form in 2013 for the team to have any type of consistent success. The team also is dealing with two essential players coming back from injury in Darrelle Revis and Santonio Holmes.
Revis has been the subject of trade talks all offseason and Holmes is coming back from a foot injury that knocked him out for most of the year. The Jets may trade Revis to someone like the 49ers or Falcons, but they also could hold onto him and then deal him during the season for a team with cornerback needs.