If there was any doubt that the New York Jets are committed to the Geno Smith era, all of that subsided Monday when it was announced that former starting quarterback Mark Sanchez will undergo surgery to repair his labrum and is expected to be out for the remainder of the season as the surgery takes 4-6 months to recover from.
According to NFL.com, Sanchez will likely be released by the end of the season although he still has two years on his contract. The timing of the surgery will allow for Sanchez, 26, to get healthy in time for 2014 free agency.
The Jets designated Sanchez for return when they placed him on the injured reserve following his shoulder injury during the fourth quarter of the team's preseason Week 3 game against the New York Giants that placed head coach Rex Ryan under scrutiny for allowing Sanchez to play so late in the game, but now it appears he won't be coming back. The news is somewhat bad for the Jets as they burned their only designated to return tag for the season on Sanchez.
Still, the news is also promising as now the distraction over a quarterback competition with Smith once Sanchez is healthy can be avoided. Smith has had an up-and-down start with the Jets through the first four starts of his career, much like Sanchez has had with the team in his first four years with the reins to the offense.
Sanchez helped lead the team to back-to-back AFC Championship Games in his first two seasons in a New York uniform, but the last two seasons have led to the quarterback being heavily questioned based on his decision making and poor plays and he's had some embarrassing moments during his tenure, including the infamous "butt-fumble."
In his career with the Jets, which is likely over, Sanchez had a completion percentage of just 55.1% while throwing for 12,092 yards with 68 touchdowns and 69 interceptions. Sanchez's interceptions have always been a problem, which is signaled by the fact that they outweigh the number of touchdowns he's thrown through 62 career games.
Smith, 22, has had his difficulties with interceptions as well, as he's thrown eight picks and only four touchdowns through four games this season. While the interceptions are a problem, the Jets second-round draft pick has shown his flair for airing out the ball, which has impressed Ryan and Co. Smith is 78-for-136 (57.4%) with 1,090 passing yards thus far in his career.
Smith struggled in the team's 38-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans (3-1) Sunday, going 23-for-34 for 289 yards while throwing one touchdown but being intercepted twice and sacked five times.
While he struggled Sunday, Ryan has given no inkling of benching the rookie.
"It's not a thought at this point right now," Ryan said per ESPN.
The keys to the Jets' offense belong to Smith for now and it would appear that with a need for surgery, Sanchez may have donned a Jets jersey for the last time.
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