Mark Sanchez's Jets West camp kicked off Thursday in Southern California. Geno Smith was not in attendance.
NFL.com and NFL Network learned Thursday that Smith will not attend the camp, according to a source. The New York Daily News reported that Smith is working out in Florida and plans to stay there through the weekend, a source said.
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It's curious news that brings into question the relationship between Sanchez and Smith, two quarterbacks who will compete for the New York Jets' starting quarterback role in training camp and the preseason. Tim Tebow -- Sanchez's backup in 2012 -- attended Jets West last summer.
Smith initially offered a no comment when asked about attending Jets West, which Sanchez has hosted in Mission Viejo, Calif., the past four years. Smith later clarified that he didn't commit to the event because he didn't know what it was. Still, Smith made it clear to reporters that he hadn't been formally invited by Sanchez.
"We haven't talked about it, but from my understanding, it's something that's done annually and all the guys go out there and it's been a great experience," Smith said last month. "Mark hasn't officially extended the hand to me, but I'm pretty sure there's no problem there."
Now we're left to speculate if Sanchez ever invited Smith, or if the rookie simply chose to stay away from the team-building exercise. Either way, it's an unnecessary storyline for the Jets, who'd be wise to steer clear of any big-top-related drama.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.
