Jets coach Rex Ryan is not ruling out a return for quarterback Mark Sanchez, but said he does not share Sanchez’s belief that he won the quarterback competition this summer before he injured his right shoulder.
“His comments that he clearly thinks he won the competition or whatever, that’s his opinion,” Ryan said Friday.
Sanchez told the NFL Network he was frustrated by the injury because he knew he had beat out Geno Smith for the starting job.
“There is no doubt. It was a done deal,” Sanchez told the network.
Not if you ask Ryan.
“I never said he won the competition,” Ryan said.
Ryan chalked up Sanchez’s comments to the quarterback’s belief in himself.
“I think as a competitor that’s what you expect,” Ryan said. “His point of view would be that’s it. You want your players to believe that. If you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. I certainly would expect that from any competitor to think they’re winning the job and things.”
Ryan said he has been encouraged by Sanchez’s rehab on the shoulder and the Jets do not expect him to miss the rest of the season. Sanchez hopes to return, but if he needs surgery, his season is over. As The Post reported Thursday, none of the doctors who have evaluated Sanchez have told him surgery is necessary right now.
“If we didn’t think it would be realistic that Mark would get on the field he would be put on IR. That’s not the case,” Ryan said.
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Ryan would not say whether rookie Dee Milliner will return to the starting lineup next week against the Bills after getting benched Thursday night.
Ryan sent the No. 9 overall pick to the bench after Milliner struggled in the first half of Thursday’s 13-10 Jets loss to the Patriots.
“He’s going to be an excellent player,” Ryan said. “At that time, I just thought it was best to sit him down and let him watch it. We’ll go with more experience out there. That’s what we did. That’s all that this kid is lacking is just the NFL experience.”
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There were some hefty fines handed down by the NFL after last week’s Jets game with the Buccaneers.
Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson was fined $30,000 for his hit on Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland for striking a defenseless player in the head and neck area. The hit sent Cumberland’s teeth through his lip and he needed stitches in his chin.
Jets safety Dawan Landry was fined $21,000 for hitting Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams on his touchdown reception. Landry was fined for striking a defenseless player in the head and neck area.
Bucs linebacker Lavonte David was fined $7,875 for shoving Smith out of bounds. That penalty set up the Jets’ game-winning field goal.
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Ryan had no update on DE Muhammad Wilkerson’s ankle injury. He also said he was unsure whether WR Jeremy Kerley (concussion) will be able to return for next week.
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The NFL is reviewing the skirmish in the final minute of Thursday’s game, set off when Jets center Nick Mangold dove for a low tackle of Patriots corner Aqib Talib as he spun out of bounds. Mangold and fellow offensive linemen Willie Colon and D’Brickashaw Ferguson — both of whom were ejected in the aftermath — are candidates for league discipline.