Even though Geno Smith has been named Week 1 starter, the competition will still continue.
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It is still about the competition for the Jets.
Even after Geno Smith was named the starter for Week 1 against the Buccaneers, the quarterback competition is still not over. Mark Sanchez is out for this weekend with a shoulder injury suffered in the third preseason game, essentially gifting the job to the raw second-round pick.
But the line from Jets brass on Wednesday was that the battle to start at quarterback isn’t necessarily over.
“Competition is our mantra. It’s really a mindset with us. Competition will always be ongoing,” general manager John Idzik said. “No matter where you are on the roster, no matter who you are in the building. That’s what is going to get us better. So we’re going to continue to compete at every single position.”
What that means is the Jets won’t utter the “rebuilding” word about the decision or this very young team. The competition at quarterback continues, especially after Idzik said on Wednesday that Sanchez won’t be placed on injured reserve, meaning a return could be sooner rather than later.
Earlier this week, head coach Rex Ryan reiterated that Sanchez is still day-to-day and Sanchez himself wouldn’t give any updates on his prognosis.
Whether there will be a starting spot for Sanchez when he comes back remains to be seen. Smith after all is the latest to be anointed this franchise’s savior, a title that Sanchez once held.
As for the other 51 players in the locker room not named Smith or Sanchez, the move to start a rookie quarterback isn’t seen as anything indicative beyond this week.
“We’re taking it a day at a time, a game at a time. We’re focused on Tampa Bay right now,” wide receiver Clyde Gates told Metro. “We’re not focused on Week 13, Week 14. We’re taking it a day at a time. We’re not talking playoffs or Super Bowl — even though that is the overall goal. We’re focused on tomorrow. We’re focused on Tampa Bay.”
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer.
