Jets fans must be feeling deja vu with all of the talk surrounding the quarterback position. Similar to the rumors
Mentor and protege, or competitors? Only time will tell.swirling prior to the 2013 season, New York is abuzz with specualtion about a supposed quarterback controversy. It may turn out that the real story is the fact that there is no real story. According to Michael Vick, there is no open competition for the starting quarterback job, Geno Smith is the starter. Although Vick appears resigned to a backup role, he does not appear to be disgruntled about his position. Vick was quoted as saying, "I knew what I was getting into when I got here. It's everything I expected. I'm having fun with the guys. Everything is team oriented."
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Of course it is impossible to say if Vick is just saying the right things, but he could prove to be a valuable asset as a backup. Having a quarterback in Geno Smith who posesses similar tools to Vick makes the situation ideal as long as both players accept their roles on the team.
Despite the fact that Vick has said that there is no quarterback question, coach Rex Ryan has said that there is "no doubt" there is an open competition. He also said that it would take a lot to beat out Smith for the starting job, but his words could create some tension if Vick has an impressive preseason.
Marty Mornhinweg had similar comments regarding the possibility of Vick winning a starting job. "Mike is here to compete, to push and to help Geno become his very best," Mornhinweg said. "When Mike is called upon, Mike expects, and we expect him, to play at a high level." It seems like the coaches are looking for Vick to light a fire under Geno Smith, hopefully the situation does not deteriorate as it did with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow in 2012.
Whichever quarterback comes out on top as the starter will have a lot of pressure to play at a high level. Rex Ryan's job is likely on the line this year (as it seems to be every year). Teammate Eric Decker has already come out and said that he believes the Jets are a playoff team. It would seem that they have all of the pieces in place to make a run, depending on how everyone comes together. The development of young players will be of particular importance. Geno Smith needs to take a step forward along with top draft picks Calvin Pryor and Jace Amaro. Whatever happens, there should be no shortage of drama surrounding Gang Green in 2014.
