If the New York Jets were a three-ring circus — and they might be — quarterback Mark Sanchez would be the tightrope walker. After four underwhelming seasons, “The Sanchize” is clinging for dear life as the starter on a team that currently has four quarterbacks on the roster. The slightest slip up will be the death of him in New York.
Sanchez has received the brunt of fans’ anger despite being surrounded by a group of failed performers. The most significant of those may be the ring leader himself Rex Ryan, the Jets’ flamboyant and attention-starved head coach.
But as the 26-year-old gunslinger heads into his fifth season, he faces stiff competition for the first time in his NFL career in second-round draft pick, Geno Smith. Sanchez may “expect” to be the Jets starting quarterback. However, it’s entirely possible that he won’t even be a member of the Jets once the regular season gets underway.
That might not be such a bad thing for the guy.
The former USC standout was selected fifth overall in the 2009 NFL draft by the Jets, who traded up to get him. He had an average first two seasons in the NFL — understandable and acceptable for a young quarterback. His past two seasons, though, have shown great signs of decline.
Mark Sanchez has thrown more interceptions (69) than touchdowns (68) in his pro career. He has never completed more than 57 percent of his pass attempts in a season and had a career-low 54.3 percent in 2012.
While his struggles have been well documented, what has constantly been overlooked is that his teammates and the environment surrounding the Jets organization have not been that of a championship-caliber club. Rather than acting like a professional football team, the Jets have presented themselves as the whiny younger brother of the all-class New York Giants.
The team garners plenty of headlines and is all the rage with the press. But the Jets are one of the greatest laughing stocks the NFL has ever seen. Few below average teams have earned as much air time on ESPN and other sports networks as the Jets have.
All of that has clearly taken its toll on Sanchez, the franchise’s fledgling young quarterback.
He does have some talent. With a boost in the athletes around him, Sanchez could be successful. This could be said for most quarterbacks, however.
The Jets had an opportunity to add some play-makers in this year’s draft, but chose not to add a wide receiver, tight end or running back. Instead, they appear to be headed into the 2013 season with the same group of players that helped make 2012 one of the most disappointing offensive campaigns in team history.
What better a time for change than now for Sanchez? It appears evident that New York is not a fit for the Long Beach, California native. Could he be successful elsewhere?
When given the chance — and when his teammates play better than most weeks — Sanchez has shown flashes of brilliance. Just see the Jets’ playoff runs in 2009 and 2010 for examples. Yes, the defense was largely responsible for the team’s triumphs, but Sanchez excelled as a game manager on offense.
He has phenomenal work ethic and strives to be better. A highly intelligent person, he still could improve at reading defenses. Of course, it would help if he had better pass protection so he could make those proper reads.
Sanchez does not have an outstanding passing arm, but it is sufficient to do well in the NFL. He throws a tight spiral and — when there is no army of pass rushers in his face — shows great touch and accuracy from the pocket. Even better, he is a good athlete with fluid footwork in and out of the pocket.
Unfortunately, he has taken a lot of hits and faced a ton of disappointment over the last two years. It’s possible that he may be at a similar point in his career that former No. 1 pick David Carr was when his tenure with the Houston Texans was over.
Sanchez, like Carr, gets happy feet in the pocket. He panics and then forces throws. He doesn’t read the defenses properly. Instead, expecting to take a hit (he’s been sacked 73 times over the last two seasons) or expecting his receivers to run the wrong routes (see: Santonio Holmes or Stephen Hill), he throws a head-scratcher of a pass that often lands in the hands of the opposing defense.
There are teams in need of a quarterback with less drama and greater offensive talent than the Jets. The Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals are all teams with uncertainty at the quarterback position. Whether their coaching staffs could help Sanchez progress — or not — is a question mark. Also, recognizing the toll that the great expectations placed on him during the 2010 NFL draft process placed on him would be a tall task.
The Jets are likely finished with Mark Sanchez — barring a sudden breakout year — and he could use a break from all the hysteria that follows that organization. Whether he can achieve greatness in the NFL is yet to be seen, but a change of scenery appears to be his best bet at this point.
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.