In the span of 10 minutes, the New York Jets announced a pair of moves Friday evening that is sure to have the city talking for some time.
The Jets released Mark Sanchez and announced the signing of Michael Vick.
Mark Sanchez has been released.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 21, 2014
It’s official. We’ve signed QB Michael Vick.
MORE: http://t.co/GgNm05Zqmz pic.twitter.com/6oPKsIrFXl
— New York Jets (@nyjets) March 21, 2014
Neither transaction should come as a surprise. The expectation always was that the Jets were going to cut Sanchez before the season. Though releasing Sanchez will cost $4.8 million against the salary cap this season, it frees up $8.3 million this season, according to Manish Mehta.
There was also strong speculation that Vick was going to sign with the Jets after he reportedly was telling teammates he thought that’s where he would end up.
The real interesting story here is that Vick’s contract reportedly is a one-year deal that will pay him $5 million. That’s a lot of money for a backup quarterback and tells us that the Jets plan to have Vick play. Whether that means using him in packages or otherwise, it’s a pretty clear indication that the Jets feel they need a good Plan B in case Geno Smith doesn’t work out.
The other question is what jersey number Vick will receive; he reportedly was making a fuss over No. 7, which has been Smith’s.
