Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum yesterday said Mark Sanchez is their starting quarterback, but the team would look “very carefully” at the position.
And Tannenbaum would not rule out Peyton Manning.
“We don’t need to bring in another guy to make Mark Sanchez great. Mark Sanchez wants to be great because that’s who he is,” Tannenbaum said on ESPN Radio. “With that said, we’re looking at that position very carefully and I wouldn’t be surprised if at the end of the day, by September, that position group as a whole looks a little bit different than it did at the end of the 2011 season.”
Asked directly if the Jets would “kick the tires” on Manning, a possible free agent, Tannenbaum replied, “It’s really important that we always try to improve the team.
“With that said, I expect Mark Sanchez to be our quarterback next year, but when we have opportunities to improve our team that’s what we’re going to do.”
Tannenbaum did not express concern a failed pursuit of Manning would hurt Sanchez’s psyche.
“You still have to do what’s in the best interest of the team,” Tannenbaum said. “My philosophy is you’ve got to be aggressive, you have to know what’s going on out there, and you have to look for opportunities.
“Sometimes there will be consequences, some are intended, some are unintended, and with that, you kind of factor that into the equation, and then you go from there.”
Manning could be let go by the Colts early next month, when he has a substantial roster bonus due. The 35-year-old is coming off multiple neck surgeries, and the Colts hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, which they almost certainly will use on Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
Sanchez seemed to regress in his third NFL season, committing 26 turnovers. The Jets finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs after reaching the AFC Championship in his first two seasons.
Tannenbaum mentioned Mark Brunell, Kevin O’Connell and Greg McElroy as in the Jets quarterback mix. The GM said he was glad McElroy was on the team and believed he would learn from comments he made on radio about the Jets’ locker room atmosphere.
“We weren’t happy with those comments, obviously,” Tannenbaum said. “… The body of work has been a lot more positive than that.”
Tannenbaum said he spoke with Bart Scott’s agent at the NFL Scouting Combine last week but would not confirm that the linebacker is on the trading block.
“We had a really good meeting where we cleared that air on a lot of things,” Tannenbaum said. “All options are on the table … we’ll see where things go.”