There was a point in time where Mark Sanchez was "the guy" for the New York Jets. Somewhere in that five years he became a punching bag for the media, granted the butt fumble did not help his case. Now the team has said goodbye on the one-time first-round draft pick in favor of Geno Smith and Michael Vick. Sanchez is now left to fight for his career on the free agent market, but head coach Rex Ryan is confident things will work out.
The Jets went 40-33 in games where Sanchez was the starter. It is often forgotten that he went 4-2 in the postseason as well. Sanchez certainly had some high points in New York that were overshadowed by lows and negative media attention. However, Ryan still has confidence that Sanchez can easily return as a starting quarterback for any team in the league, just not the Jets.
"I think it's good for him that he moves on," Ryan said, via the New York Daily News. "He'll have a chance to start again, I think. He had success here. I'm sure he has some great memories here and some great moments. That's more than a lot of people can say. That's my first draft pick (as) a (head) coach. You have the vision that this guy's going to be with you for 10 years. I'm sure every coach has that. Very few make it that far. In an ideal world, that's what you would have liked."
Despite what many think, Ryan likes to point towards Sanchez's win-loss record as the true measure of how good the quarterback is and can be. Others might point towards the 20 interceptions Sanchez tossed his rookie season or the back-to-back years he threw 18 interceptions as the measure to the talent the quarterback has.
"I think the best judge of quarterbacks is probably their record," Ryan said. "His win-loss record is not by fluke. The guy has talent. The big thing about Mark (is) when he learns how to protect the football better, that's probably the thing that's missing more than anything else."
So if Sanchez can still start in the NFL, where does he land? It was assumed the St. Louis Rams might be the best option for him. Jeff Fisher praised the quarterback as a strong backup who could start if need be. Sam Bradford is coming off an injury, giving Sanchez the chance at some playing time and the quarterback has history with the offensive coordinator.
According Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Tennessee Titans are not interested despite the struggles of Jake Locker. That leaves a pending deal with the Philadelphia Eagles his best shot, but not as a starter. The Eagles are still awaiting a final word on Sanchez's shoulder health before making a decision.
