Jets' Ryan names rookie Sanchez starting QB
Photo credit: Getty Images | Mark Sanchez throws a pass in a preseason game against Baltimore on Monday.
Jets Name Rookie Sanchez Starting QB
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Mark Sanchez
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - Mark Sanchez may very well be picking up the playbook quickly, and his ability to learn and adapt on the fly are among the reasons why Rex Ryan tabbed him Wednesday as the starting quarterback over Kellen Clemens.
Still, the three words Kris Jenkins used yesterday to describe Sanchez show the rookie has a ways to go in another department.
"He's a cornball," the nose tackle said.
Jenkins was joking somewhat, but the veteran's hopes and playoff aspirations will be riding on the right shoulder of the cornball who will be the Jets' first rookie quarterback ever to start a season opener. Sanchez essentially was given the keys to the franchise when he was inked to that $50-million contract, the largest amount of money doled out to any player in team history.
With yesterday's announcement, the Jets are ready for Sanchez to stick those keys in the ignition, trigger the engine and motor down the NFL highway with the grace and beauty of a Lamborghini.
"I talked with him earlier and he understands he has a big responsibility," Jenkins said. "It's not just to come in and be quarterback. But he has a big responsibility to lead this team. He needs to lead this team and that's it. I'm ready for him to take that responsibility. I'm ready for him to step up and be that man. But it's going to be some work for him. We are going to support him through all of this. I'm ready to see what he's going to do this year.
"His job is basically not to mess it up."
Ryan met with Sanchez and Clemens just after 8 a.m. and informed them of his decision. He said the choice to go with Sanchez was solely his. Sanchez's natural tools coupled with a solid running game and what the Jets hope will be a stout defense factored into Ryan's thinking.
"I think he's got everything, all of the things you look for," Ryan said, later adding: "This decision wasn't just based on one game or anything else. It's a collection of information and really at the end of the day, I feel good about it."
Sanchez, as expected, was giddy.
"Really excited," said Sanchez, who's coming off Monday's lackluster 3-for-8 performance with a touchdown pass and an interception returned for a TD. "This is something I've always wanted to do and dreams are coming true right now. It's a special opportunity. With that opportunity comes a ton of responsibility to this team, to this organization, to the community here."
Said safety Kerry Rhodes: "We think we have something special with him."
Sanchez said Clemens was the first person to speak to him after their meeting with Ryan and that he offered congratulations and encouragement. Clemens, who has a propensity for turning the ball over and lacks pocket presence, completed 9 of 14 passes for 84 yards with a TD and an interception in the first two preseason games.
There was a perception that he needed to do more than play evenly with Sanchez to win the job.
"I didn't feel that way," Clemens said. "Coach Ryan said from the start that it was going to be a fair competition. I think it was. At the end of the day, it was close. Coach Ryan and I spoke frequently throughout the competition to get a feel for him and what he was thinking. But at the end of the day he felt like Mark was the guy for the job."
In a matter of four months, the fifth overall pick in April's draft has had a rapid ascension. But he can't stop and reflect just yet.
"You can kind of step back outside yourself and see it happening all at once and it's going all so fast," Sanchez said. "But then you've got more film to watch, you've got another practice tomorrow. So it's going by quickly and I'm soaking it up as best as possible. But this is the way I obviously planned it, and now it's time to go play and learn."
