By Mark Cannizzaro ST. LOUIS — In the end, after a five-year marriage that became rocky, the Jets’ treatment of Mark Sanchez was deplorable. Breathe deeply, Sanchez haters. You know who you are, because you are everywhere. Based on the inflammatory Twitter reactions I received for voicing this same sentiment Friday about the poor timing of Sanchez’s release, I’m well aware that statement doesn’t sit well with you. I’m well aware the Jets made Sanchez a multi-millionaire, made him a star, a regular Page Six item for all the high-profile women he dated. That they drafted him perhaps higher (No. 5 overall) than he should have been with so little starting experience coming out of USC in 2009. That they gave him a ridiculous kiss-and-make-up contract extension in 2012 (with more than $20 million guaranteed) after their flirtation with Peyton Manning became public. I get all that. Hold off on the sad-story violin music for the fallen star who is financially set for life. What I do not understand is why, when the Jets knew all along — for months — they were going to move on from Sanchez going forward, they felt the need to bleed this thing out until Friday night, two weeks into free agency and with most teams already having addressed their quarterback vacancies. By doing this, the Jets dramatically reduced Sanchez’s options for places to sign. Was that necessary? You want to make the argument the Jets held onto Sanchez as insurance in case they were unable to sign Michael Vick? The Jets never had any intention of keeping Sanchez. They knew their fan base would revolt if Sanchez ever were under center again. You want to make the argument it was the Jets’ prerogative to wait as long as they wanted — right up until his $2 million roster bonus deadline arrived on Tuesday — before releasing him? Of course it was, but does that make it right? I get that the NFL, like every other professional sport, is a ruthless business and teams must look out for themselves first. But the way teams treat their players goes a long way toward helping them recruit top players. A week ago, free-agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie chose to sign with the Giants over the Jets after visiting both teams. Maybe it only was about the money for Rodgers-Cromartie, with the Giants offering a sweeter deal. But maybe it was a choice of one organization over the other, too. Jets general manager John Idzik, for whom the jury remains very much out, has not proven himself to be a very good recruiter. See his failure to add a free agent cornerback to his depleted secondary despite a plentiful market and gads of salary cap space. The Jets, using the age-old, lame-old public relations ploy when the objective is to attract the least attention possible, announced the Sanchez release on their Twitter account at 6:22 p.m. Friday night with the sports world otherwise immersed in NCAA Tournament basketball. At 6:26 p.m., the Jets’ Twitter account sent out a canned Rex Ryan quote, reading: “I’d like to thank Mark for everything he’s done for this team and me personally.’’ At 6:32, they sent out a picture of Vick signing his one-year, $5 million contract to replace Sanchez. Classy stuff. For all the negatives that seem to override anything good he did as a Jet, Sanchez was a good employee. The “Buttfumble?’’ Not Sanchez’s fault, yet it is affixed to his legacy as permanently as that tattoo on Ryan’s right arm of his wife wearing a Sanchez jersey as a nightie. When Sanchez was put into that preseason game against the Giants in the fourth quarter last August — behind a backup offensive line, after he already had won the starting job — and got his right shoulder mangled, how often did you hear Sanchez complain about that publicly? Never. The injury ended Sanchez’s season and, effectively, his career with the Jets. Yet Sanchez, to this day, never has taken a shot at the Jets for their amateur-hour handling of that situation. As it turned out, amateur hour extended from that 2013 preseason game right up until 6:22 p.m. Friday night. http://nypost.com/2014/03/22/mark-sanchez-deserved-better-from-jets/
Luckily Sanchez's career is not over, and he will make all the people that put him through hell look really bad.
I didn't read any of that. They held on to him because they wanted to see if they can trade him, and to protect themselves in the event that Vick was off the market. Once they got Vick they then released Sanchez. This is a business.
except all the reports are they had no interest in brining him back at all, never discussed it w/ him. The Jets have been screwing him since the offseason after the 2010 season and they really screwed him this year.
This is a business. I already explained their approach and it was a sensible one for the Jets. Sanchez was never "screwed" by the Jets. Did they make some mistakes at times? Sure. But as a top 5 he had to assume some more responsibility at some point. He just couldn't handle it and then his supporters like yourself call it "screwing him over"
they had no intentions of keeping him, they already had screwed him the last few years the least they could have done was release him so he could possibly get a starting job. they released Cro w/ no backup plan at corner, they could have done it for Mark.
If Mark wanted an earlier release then he should've made sure his roster bonus kicked in earlier. They wanted to trade him, once they couldn't find any trade partners then they cut him. But I'm sure the two time AFC championship game appearing QB won't have a problem finding a job.
he signed the deal a few years ago, he didn't sign anticipating he'd be released in 2014. he won't have a problem getting a job but the best ones were taken, ones where he could have started.
A lot of people don't anticipate getting cut early. But JUST IN CASE they negotiate their roster bonus early; so that way if the team wants to cut them they can get an early release. Btw who's to say that Mark would start for any team even if he were cut early? A bad QB coming off a shoulder injury and a guy that missed a whole season isn't necessarily an enticing option. Teams more than likely wanted him as a backup.
maybe but backup jobs went off the board too. there are some available and already SL has expressed interest but he has limited options now.
I agree, he can backup Bradford and considering that Bradford is injury prone, Mark will get a few starts here and there.
so then why hold him for so long? Jets knew damn well no one was going to trade for him. Ill just end the whole Sanchez thing by saying this. His first two years you tell him dont throw. Then his third year you give him the green light but his dependable receivers are gone and your replacement for one is a guy who just stepped out of jail. Lastly "you" are surprised somehow that he wasnt doing so well so you fire the OC to bring in another "OC (?)" while then bringing in Tebow who would replace him after a couple of throws on the field. Last season you send him out in a meaningless game in a very meaningless time at that to get hurt and put out of the entire season in which you knew all along the new kid was going to start regardless and that the Sanchize will get the boot. Overall the JETS screwed Sanchez. This is my last Sanchez post (hopefully) before the new NFL season starts.
I was thinking, if it took the Jets to screw Sanchez to finally learn how to develop a QB, then this is one of the better mistakes in NFL history.
