The Jets have said that while Jets coach Rex Ryan has final say in their quarterback competition, it will be a group decision. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is part of the group that will make the decision, and his vote is for Geno Smith.
That’s the word from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who reports that Mornhinweg prefers Smith as the best man to run the offense, even if Mark Sanchez is healthy.
Jets General Manager John Idzik has a say in the quarterback decision, and he surely prefers Smith as well: Idzik selected Smith in the second round of this year’s NFL draft, and he would obviously prefer to see Smith as the starter over Sanchez, whom Idzik inherited and kept on the roster only because he had an expensive guaranteed contract.
So if Idzik and Mornhinweg both want Smith, and Smith is healthy right now and Sanchez isn’t, why hasn’t Smith been named the starter? It must be that Ryan isn’t ready to close the door on Sanchez, who has been his quarterback the whole time he’s been the Jets’ head coach. Everyone else may be ready to move on to Smith, but Ryan hasn’t yet pulled the trigger on the move that would end Sanchez’s tenure as the starter.