For at least one preseason game, Mark Sanchez is the Jets’ starting quarterback.
Jets coach Rex Ryan confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Sanchez will be the starter when the Jets begin their preseason on Friday night against the Lions. Ryan added that Geno Smith will also get some playing time with the first-string offense.
The news that Sanchez is starting is no surprise, and it doesn’t mean he’s currently in the lead in his quarterback competition with Smith. It just means that not enough has changed so far in the offseason for Ryan to change the status quo, and Sanchez is the incumbent starter from last year.
In fact, many Jets observers think Smith is the favorite to be the starter when the regular season opens. If Sanchez doesn’t play well on Friday night, it’s entirely possible that the preseason opener against the Lions will be the last game he ever starts for the Jets.