Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was given the starting job for Friday night’s preseason opener, but he says that was no gift.
Sanchez said today that he believes he got the starting job the old-fashioned way: He earned it.
“I think I earned the right to start this first game, and we’ll see how it goes from there,” Sanchez said, in comments distributed by the team. “I got to keep playing well to stay on the field and that’s the plan.”
Sanchez said he felt good when he learned he was the starter, and that he actually found out shortly after the Jets made the news public to reporters. He also said he’s taking the matchup with the Lions’ defense seriously.
“Oh, I like to take them as serious as possible,” Sanchez said of preseason games. “Any time you’re keeping score, even when you’re not keeping score, you want to win as a competitor. So I think it’s important for us to be sharp, and this is our first real scrimmage after the green and white. So the live hitting, you know you’re live, no more red jerseys. So, head on a swivel, make sure you’re doing the right thing, get rid of the ball especially against this defense. They’re a tough defense and a great front. So it’s pretty serious, it’s not like we’re taking this lightly.”
Sanchez can’t afford to take anything lightly if he wants to earn the right to start in the regular season.