Less than a month after new general manager John Idzik publicly undercut his head coach’s autonomy in the quarterback competition evaluation process, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has learned that coach Rex Ryan — not Idzik — will have final say on whether Mark Sanchez or Geno Smith will start against the Buccaneers on Sept. 8. Idzik created the perception that Ryan would not make the final call by curiously claiming at the start of training camp that he’d have a “pretty big role†in deciding the Week 1 quarterback. Ryan toed the company line with predictable talking points about a “collaborative†process that would seemingly include everyone wandering the halls at the team’s Florham Park facility. Ryan has been systematically stripped of his power amid the organization’s changing landscape, but Idzik isn’t making any demands right now about whether Sanchez or Smith should be the starting quarterback. “I’m sure John will have his say,†a team source said. “But at the end of the day, Rex will consult his coaches and make the decision.†Ryan has placated his meticulous new boss for months, barely recognizable from his swashbuckling days, but he still has authority over the most important decision facing the Jets. Source: The Redzone
