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New York Jets’ Mark Sanchez: ‘I Earned Right to Start’ Over Geno Smith

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: | Updated on March 25, 2016 CommentsComments (0)

Mark Sanchez says he wasn’t surprised that he was starting in the New York Jets’ preseason opener against Detroit. The quarterback simply thinks he has outplayed rookie Geno Smith so far at the Jets’ summer camp.

“You have to ask the coaches, but I feel like I’m putting together a good camp,” Sanchez said Wednesday. “I think I earned the right to start this first game and we’ll see how it goes from there. But got to keep playing well to stay on the field, and that’s the plan.”

In Sanchez’s opinion, he will never take a back seat to Smith.

“I mean, I just don’t think about not playing ever,” he said. “So, that really doesn’t affect the way I approach things, the way I go to practice, (or) the way I play.”

According to sources, both Sanchez and Smith have had solid camps so far, but reports say the rookie’s performance has declined. Smith admitted,  “I wasn’t my normal self.”

Smith still isn’t concerned or worried about the decision the coaches made to start Sanchez for this week.

“I don’t have any reaction toward it,” Smith said. “The competition’s still open and I’ll just continue to work and to grow.”

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