Jets Sign Michael Vick, Release Mark Sanchez

Mark Sanchez was supposed to be the answer to the New York Jets quarterback woes when he was drafted in 2009.  He had a couple of good seasons, but things started going downhill after that.  In 2012, things took on a circus atmosphere when the team brought in Tim Tebow as a backup.  Sanchez wound up on the bench late in the season.  Then in 2013, the Jets drafted Geno Smith to compete for the job; Smith took over as starter when Sanchez went down with a season ending shoulder injury in a preseason game.

The Jets officially gave up on Sanchez on March 21st, releasing him and signing former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.  Vick had lost his job to Nick Foles last season, and became expendable.   This move indicates the Jets had no confidence in Sanchez even as a backup, and that if Smith isn’t up to the challenge yet of being an NFL starter, Vick can step in immediately and play at a higher level than Sanchez.

Smith had an inconsistent season in 2013, looking good one week and bad the next, sort of like the Jets team in general.  He probably is still viewed as the long term solution at quarterback, but the Jets would like a proven veteran on the roster if Smith has problems over the short term.  Smith said he’s looking forward to working with Vick.

As for Sanchez, if his shoulder is OK, we may see other teams take a look at him.  He wasn’t bad at the beginning of his NFL career, and if he has a fresh start away from the pressure cooker of New York, maybe he can revive his career.