Rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who started in Saturday night’s preseason game against the New York Giants, muffed a chance to take the starting job by throwing three interceptions and running out the back of the end zone for a safety. Smith’s sloppy outing left room for Mark Sanchez to be named the starter for the first Jets game — well that’s if he can get healthy.
Sanchez replaced Smith after his bad play in the fourth quarter, but then Sanchez hurt his right shoulder on a hit by Marvin Austin. Sanchez left the game immediately after the play, as he was in tremendous pain. Thereafter, medical staff brought the QB to the locker room for an X-ray.
Sanchez, who played well for the short time, finished 5 of 6 for 72 yards. He will have an MRI exam on his shoulder Sunday according to sources.
“Unfortunately, the best play that he makes, probably all of preseason, he ends up getting hurt on it,” Coach Rex Ryan said of Sanchez, who eluded two onrushing Giants to make a pass before being leveled by Austin. “We’ll see the severity of the injury later.”
“We talked about the [quarterback] competition, and that was something that I felt was important,” Ryan said. “If it wasn’t important, then I wouldn’t have put him in there. I would not have put Mark in if it wasn’t important.”
Sanchez was said to be experiencing intense soreness, according to a source. More details on the Jets QB competition coming soon…
