New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan fell in line with general manager John Idzik, stating on Monday that the decision of whether Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith will be the starting quarterback when the season opens on Sept. 8 will be a "team decision."
Idzik said Sunday that Ryan, entering his fifth year at the helm as the Jets head coach, wouldn't have the final say as to who will start at signal caller opening day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While the words of Idzik seemed to put a spotlight of doubt on the team's faith in Ryan making the decision, the coach insists that he's never been the sole decision-maker for the team.
"I think you guys are making a mountain out of a molehill, to be honest with you," Ryan said to the media Monday following Idzik's statement that the coach wouldn't have full authority on the decision, according to the Daily News. "Ever since I've been here, it's my fifth year here, not one decision has been made by one man. Not one decision.
Ryan insists that he will be the one to tell either Sanchez or Smith that they have the starting job.
"I'll sit down and talk to the quarterbacks and ultimately that's who's telling the quarterback, so when the guys come in, they talk to me," Ryan insisted. I tell you guys who the quarterback is, but at no time is it a one-man show. It's always a team decision."
Ryan's future with the team is very much in doubt as the Jets have struggled the last two years. After a promising start to the Rex Ryan era that saw the Jets make it to back-to-back AFC Championship games, the Jets went 8-8 in 2011 before falling to 6-10 last year
Despite Ryan's future with the team possibly being in doubt, he insists that he is in good standing with the ownership.
"I know I have complete support from [Idzik], from Woody (Johnson), from everybody in this organization," Ryan said. "I want you to understand that number one, don't think for a second I don't feel 100% support by everybody in this organization, because I do."
Ryan and the Jets will use training camp and the pre-season to determine whether Sanchez or Smith will start. Sanchez has been the signal caller for every year that Ryan has been coaching the team, but only had 13 touchdowns while throwing 18 interceptions last year.
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