One former teammate of Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez says confidence is a major problem.
LaDainian Tomlinson, who played with Sanchez for two years in New York, says that Sanchez’s biggest issue is that he hesitates to make throws because he doesn’t believe in himself.
“Mark has to start to trust himself. Mark does a great job in the film room but when he comes out on the field, he doesn’t trust what he sees out there in terms of coverages and the timing with his receivers,” Tomlinson said, via the New York Post. “If he starts to trust himself and not hesitate in throwing the football, then he possibly could turn his career around. I think it’ll be tough at this point because rarely does a zebra change his stripes.”
Tomlinson said he doubts rookie quarterback Geno Smith will be ready to start in Week One, but that Sanchez will have a short leash if things go badly.
“Early on, we probably will see Sanchez take the snaps at the starting spot,” Tomlinson said. “But here’s the thing: in preseason, if Mark Sanchez doesn’t show the ability to improve from turning the football over and that race is close between the two, Geno Smith will be the starter.”
If Sanchez needs to build confidence, a former teammate speculating that he’ll lose his job probably won’t help.