While the Browns and Eagles have called an end to their quarterback competitions, the Jets have given no indication that they are close to tabbing either Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith as their man under center.
In the latest sign that things are still up in the air, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that Smith will start against the Giants in the team’s third preseason game unless he has a setback with his sprained ankle during practice this week.
Smith did not play against the Jaguars last Saturday night, while Sanchez had his second straight inconsistent outing of the preseason. Sanchez moved the Jets down the field well twice, but threw an interception later in his outing and failed to do enough to make further consideration unnecessary.
And that’s probably the best thing for the Jets because there’s not much point in having a quarterback competition if you’re not going to evaluate both players with the starting offense. What Smith will have to do to win the job for the regular season is unclear, although putting forth an effort that hints at a higher level of reliability than Sanchez has provided the team would be a pretty good place to start.