Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will miss more than half of the regular season with the shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason.
The Jets have announced that Sanchez has been placed on injured reserve, designated for return.
That means Sanchez can return to practice in six weeks, and can return to the active roster in eight weeks. The Jets’ bye is Week 10, so the earliest Sanchez could play would be Week 11, at Buffalo on November 17.
Realistically, it’s hard to see Sanchez getting much action on the field even when he is eligible to return. The Jets are widely expected to move on from Sanchez after this season and make Geno Smith their starter going forward, so there would be no reason to take Smith off the field and put Sanchez on the field late in the season.
With Sanchez on injured reserve, he will not count toward the Jets’ 53-man roster. The Jets have two quarterbacks, Matt Simms and Brady Quinn, behind Smith on the depth chart.