Keyshawn Johnson gave the New York Jets some good years as a wide receiver. Now he’s giving his opinion on the team’s quarterback controversy and it seems he’s leaning towards Geno Smith, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
In a phone interview with the website, Johnson said the Smith is probably more popular with the players to Sanchez’s past struggles.
"Geno [Smith] will add another dimension of attitude to the team," said Johnson, now an NFL analyst with ESPN. "The players are probably more receptive to him than Mark. I would think the players like him more than Mark. They've been around Mark and they're tired of Mark's [crap]. That's how players think. Geno Smith is the new wave. He's hip, he's cool. Mark is in a tough spot."
He also said the Jets drafted Sanchez too high when they took him fifth overall in 2009.
"You weren't getting a can't-miss prospect," Johnson said. "You reached to get him. You drafted a quarterback for the future and to appease the fans after Brett Favre. I think that was a bit of a mistake because he wasn't ready to be taken as high as he was taken. Because when you take a guy that high, you expect certain production for him. When you don't have that certain production, that draft pick looks in question and now he becomes scrutinized heavily.”
"He was just OK in college. He wasn't a home-run hitter,” Johnson added. “Then you put him in New York; that's one of the worst things you could've done. Had you put him in Green Bay and let him sit like Aaron Rodgers for several years, maybe he could've ended up like Rodgers. He was thrown into the fire right away and made two playoff appearances, and now he feels like, 'I'm the s---, nobody can tell me anything.' They started losing and his confidence was shaken, and then he has [Tim] Tebow hovering over his shoulder."
Johnson said if it were up to him, Sanchez would have sat for a few more years on the bench.
It is still unclear which quarterback—rookie Geno Smith or Sanchez—will get the starting job Week 1, although ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini reports the Jets are hoping Smith is the starter. Smith has made less mistakes during training camp and has a good arm but he is having trouble with the West Coast offense and struggling to getting rid of the ball quickly. Sanchez may be coming off an abysmal season (he had the second lowest passer rating in the NFL at 66.9) but he has proven he can lead the Jets to the playoffs. The team went to two NFC championships (2010 and 2011) with the 26-year old at the helm.
Neither player has significantly separated himself from the other, so the Jets decision may come down to the wire.
