The quarterback competition between Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith is likely to be the most talked about story line of the Jets’ upcoming training camp.
But the health of Santonio Holmes is possibly more important.
The game-changing wide receiver, recovering from a serious Lisfranc injury to his left foot that cost him the final 12 games of last season, said he is taking it “day to day,” and the longer he answered questions about the foot, the more it seemed his hesitation was more than talk and he would begin camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
“I don’t have a target date,” the former Super Bowl MVP said during the uSTADIUM’s Flags for Foundations flag football tournament on Roosevelt Island yesterday. “I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize myself being ready for the season. … Once the season gets ready to start, hopefully I’m ready to roll.
“I really don’t know right now,” Holmes, 29, later said. “It’s starting to get better, we’re making progress every day. The season doesn’t start until September. We definitely have to take our time.”
The Lisfranc injury is Grade 4 — the most serious — and Holmes revealed yesterday how challenging the rehab process has been.
“It’s really difficult to learn how to walk again, to do so much balance work, you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone,” he said. “To lose a ligament and have separation in your joints, have screws placed in, takes time to get back in the swing of things and understand what your body can and can’t do.”
Holmes has participated only in limited football activities, though he is running on a non-weight-bearing treadmill three days a week. He wouldn’t say whether he would be ready for the season opener Sept. 8 against cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Buccaneers. He said he expects to get back to being the player he was before the injury, which the skill-starved Jets desperately need.
“Mentally, that’s all I’ve been thinking about, is being the person that I have [been],” Holmes said. “And that’s the first key to getting myself back on the field and be able to play with confidence, not having any thoughts [of] ‘what if, what if, what if.’ ”
Without Holmes last year, the Jets’ passing attack suffered. Sanchez had by far his worst season as a pro. Of course, Sanchez may not be under center when the season begins.
The Jets drafted Smith in the second round as a possible replacement to the turnover-prone Sanchez. When asked if he has spoken to Sanchez, Holmes said, “Why would I do that?”
The wideout also said he has known Smith since the fellow Florida native was in high school.
“I’m excited that he’s on our team and I know everybody else is, as well,” Holmes said. “I’ll leave it to those guys to compete and hopefully the coaches make the right decision for the team and the organization. If Rex loves him, we’ve got to love him.”
However, whoever is at quarterback may not have the team’s top weapon at his disposal when the season begins.