It’s becoming more and more clear that neither Tim Tebow nor Mark Sanchez will return to the Jets in 2013. But before completely slamming the door on the possibility of one more go from Sanchez or Tebow, it’s important to remember that, after the J, E, T, S just ended the season in 2011, it looked like linebacker Bart Scott would be long gone.
In the end, he was back. And now he says he could be back again in 2013.
Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that Scott is willing to take less than the $6.9 million he’s due to earn next year in order to stay with the team. Scott didn’t say how much less he’d take, and it’s not known how low the Jets would want to go.
Mehta predicts that Scott will be cut and later re-signed at a reduced rate. That makes sense, since doing so (possibly with a post-June 1 designation, given that he’s under contract through 2014) would clear $6.9 million in cap space.
Scott’s return in 2012 came in large part because Scott was due to earn $4.2 million in guaranteed money. At one point, the Jets gave him permission to seek a trade. Later, G.M. Mike Tannenbaum said that “all options are on the table.”
It’s the same situation the Jets now face with quarterback Mark Sanchez, but at a much higher salary number and cap consequence. The fact that the Jets ultimately opted to bring back Scott doesn’t mean that they’ll bring back Sanchez.
The best news for now is that Scott didn’t commemorate the official end of the team’s playoff chances by giving any reporters a one-fingered farewell.
But, hey, there are still two games left.