Ryan says Sanchez will remain Jets starter "this week"
People are going to read into the wording used by New York Jets coach Rex Ryan when he said on Wednesday that Mark Sanchez will remain the Jets starting quarterback "this week."
The fact that Ryan did not commit beyond Sunday's game against Indianapolis may or may not mean anything, but it certainly will fuel speculation about whether Tim Tebow could become the starter if Sanchez struggles against the Colts.
"I'm telling you right now, [Sanchez] is our starting quarterback this week," Ryan said Wednesday, according to ESPNNewYork.com.
Asked to explain what that meant as far as Sanchez's long-term status, Ryan replied, "What do you want me to say? He's our starter. He's our starter this week."
Ryan's statement came the same day Jets owner Woody Johnson told CNBC he wants Tebow on the Jets for the remainder of his contract -- through 2014.
"Are we going to keep Tebow? Absolutely," Johnson said. "He'll be with us for three years. ... I think he's going to be a real valuable asset in terms of helping us win games."
He added that he and Ryan haven't discussed inserting Tebow as the starter.
The Jets owner wouldn't say the situation would never change because "never is a long, long time period," but offered that he sees "the same things in Mark Sanchez that I saw when I first met him."
