New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith may not have won the competition to play under center for the team's opener outright, but he may land the starting job for Week 1 by default.
Incumbent quarterback Mark Sanchez is still sidelined with a bruised joint in his throwing shoulder, and may not be ready for the regular-season opener when the Jets take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at MetLife Stadium Sept. 9, leaving Smith the reins to the offense at least for Week 1.
While it's not definite that Sanchez won't be ready to play by the time the game rolls around next weekend, reports indicate that it's likely that the Jets second-round pick (39th overall) will start the contest.
Sanchez is officially reported as day-to-day with the injury, but ESPN reports that the fifth-year quarterback could miss at least up to two weeks while he tries to return from the ailment. Jets head coach Rex Ryan insisted that the quarterback competition is still open and that Smith hasn't won the job but may be the starter by default.
"Until there's an announcement, the competition is on-going," Ryan said, according to ESPN.
With Sanchez sidelined for an unspecified amount of time, Ryan wouldn't downplay the notion that the competition may go on between the two throughout the season.
"I guess it's a possibility," Ryan told ESPN about the battle between the two extending to the regular-season. "When we feel good about it, we'll make that decision. Certainly we haven't put a timetable on it as far as naming a starting quarterback. When we feel [good] about that decision as an organization, we'll make it."
Smith won't be getting the job on his own merit, as he looked horrible in Week 3 of the preseason in the Jets victory over their New York state rival Giants, where the rookie threw three interceptions and was the victim of a safety. Smith didn't get a chance to redeem himself in Thursday's preseason finale against the Eagles because the Jets didn't want to risk an injury to Smith if he is to be their starting signal caller Sept. 9.
Smith's rough start against the Giants can be seen in the video below:
Smith has had an up-and-down training camp, and throughout the preseason he's only played in 69 snaps leading up to his NFL regular-season debut. Smith injured himself in Week 1 of the preseason, in his NFL debut, when he sprained his ankle. He then sat out the Jets second preseason game before putting on an awful showing against the Giants in Week 3 and sitting out Week 4.
"He started out like gangbusters [in training camp] and, obviously, he had the ankle injury, so that set him back," Ryan said per ESPN. "[He] got the game in against the Giants. Obviously, it was a very up and down performance. He had a good week of practice. We'll see where he is from there."
In his senior year with West Virginia, Smith went 369-for-518 for 4,205 yards with 42 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Smith is looking to get the Jets off to a good start after a subpar 6-10 finish to last season.
It seems as though the competition between Smith and Sanchez is destined to go on until Week 16.
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