Vick expected to battle it out with Smith over starting role.
The New York Jets have signed quarterback Michael Vick to a one-year deal worth $5m according to league sources, while they also released Mark Sanchez.
Following on from a season full of drama over their selections at quarterback, the Jets will now see Vick and incumbent Geno Smith compete for the starting job, although there is no suggestion yet as to who they will likely favour.
Nevertheless, Vick appears to believe that he joins the team as their back-up initially, but he will undoubtedly be looking to impress in training camp in order to oust his young rival.
“As of now, Geno is the starting quarterback for this football team,” Vick said in a conference call with reporters, as reported by ESPN. “From this point on, we’re going to compete every day.”
Having finished last season on the bench for the Philadelphia Eagles, Vick has insisted this off-season that he was keen to find a spot on a roster where he had a strong shot of becoming a starter.
While he was hesitant in causing any controversy by making a bold statement over his situation with the Jets, it is clear that he is eyeing a role above Smith.
In contrast, despite being once considered as the franchise quarterback, Sanchez was released due to his cap charge of $13.1m and a surgically repaired shoulder while his recent form when healthy has not been particularly impressive.
As a result of the move the Jets will save around $8.3m against this year’s cap and it brings to an end a five-year spell in New York for Sanchez which included four playoff victories.
Sanchez departs with a 33-29 record in four seasons as the Jets’ starter, but after recently insisting that he doesn’t see himself anywhere else but with the Jets, he will now be forced to look elsewhere for a new team.
COMMENTS