The Jets have an open competition at quarterback. Unless they don’t.
After Mike Vick joined the team in March for considerably more money than incumbent starter Geno Smith will earn this season, the Jets made it clear that the two men will compete for the job, and the best man will play.
Jets coach Rex Ryan told PFT during the league meetings in Orlando that the competition will indeed be open, and that it will be resolved via an organizational decision. More recently, Ryan said that Vick “definitely” has a chance to win the job.
Twice since then, Vick has said that the competition is, essentially, rigged. Vick said the competition isn’t open. Previously, Vick said that Smith is the starting quarterback.
Vick decided in 2013 to always be honest because that’s what his former coach, Chip Kelly, wanted. His new coach presumably would prefer discretion.
If Vick’s information and/or intuition are accurate, the Jets want Smith to think that he could lose his job to Vick, which will push Smith to improve. With Vick declaring that Smith won’t lose the job, the effort doesn’t have the same impact.
Which means that Smith may not have the same confidence that would emerge from winning a real competition with Vick, which could (combined with other factors) result in Smith struggling. Which could open the door for Vick to win at some point in September or or October the competition that never was.
Which makes Vick’s willingness to expose the situation potentially brilliant.