Hey Jets…Make It Official Now: Sanchez Is #1

There’s really no point in delaying it any further; the Jets should officially name Mark Sanchez the team’s starting quarterback ASAP.

Last night’s game aside – and Sanchez played well – this has been brewing since the start of training camp. By all accounts, Sanchez has outplayed Kellen Clemens all summer.

The sooner the Jets make it official, the better off all parties will be.

And it seems like the kid is uncommonly prepared to handle the New York spotlight. I’ve listened to at least six of his media sessions during training camp and I’ve been consistently amazed at how smooth he is with the press.

We always hear that playing at USC is akin to the NFL in both competition level AND fan/media hype. It’s clear that this kid is “Hollywood,” and that’s a good thing.

Plus there’s recent precident for rookies succeeding in the NFL, too. Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco led their respective teams to the playoffs last year. If Sanchez gets the keys to the Jets, he’ll be surrounded by a veteran team that’s ready to win now.

If Ryan (Boston College) and Flacco (Deleware, for goodness sake!) can lead pilot playoff teams in their first season, there’s no reason to believe Sanchez can’t do the same.

If the Jets are smart, they'll put Sanchez in the drivers seat this week.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle