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Jets passed on chance to be in “Draft Day” movie

New York Jets v Buffalo Bills

ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 17: Nick Bellore #54 of the New York Jets leans on his helmet on the sideline during NFL game action against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on November 17, 2013 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Nick Bellore

Tom Szczerbowski

Maybe it was just because they had their own quarterback controversy at the time, but the Jets didn’t want to be portrayed as the team passing on one with the first pick.

According to Steven Zeitchik of the Los Angeles Times, the Jets were supposed to be the team Kevin Costner’s dealing with for the first pick in the new movie “Draft Day.”

But the Jets pulled out of the filming shortly before shooting was to begin last year, leaving the Seahawks to play the role of the team with the top pick.

They were having something of a quarterback dispute, and the team said that this is just going to incite our fans a little more to criticize us, even though it’s all fictional,” director Ivan Reitman said.

Of course, in shooting the film last April, the Seahawks stood in and went from the team with the fictional first pick to the Super Bowl.

The Jets, meanwhile, had to eat an expensive mistake to cut Mark Sanchez, handing his job over to Geno Smith, perhaps buttfumbling a chance to be on the silver screen.