In the wake of Mark Sanchez’s shoulder injury on Saturday night, Rex Ryan battled with the media about playing Sanchez with Jets reserves when Sanchez appeared to be his starting quarterback after Geno Smith threw three interceptions against the Giants.
Ryan argued with the assumption that Sanchez was the starter and repeated the refrain that the Jets would pick their starting quarterback when they felt it was appropriate. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that Ryan’s taking the same path with his choice for the team’s starter against the Eagles on Thursday night.
Ryan said Tuesday that the Jets will reveal the identity of their quarterback on Thursday. The Jets have already said that Sanchez won’t play this week, leaving them with Smith, Matt Simms and Greg McElroy as options. McElroy practiced Tuesday, but has battled an ankle injury during camp.
Smith is definitely going to start the season opener if Sanchez can’t play, so that determination may be part of what the Jets need to make their decision about Thursday. Or not. Mehta also reports that Ryan said it was a “possibility” that the choice of a starter for Week One would be made on gameday as well. He’s probably kidding, but the Jets obviously aren’t averse to taking things down to the wire.