The New York Jets are inching toward decision time on Mark Sanchez.
Both the player and team are operating under a March 25 deadline. That's the date Sanchez is due a $2 million roster bonus, money the erstwhile starting quarterback will never see. The real question is whether Sanchez will return at a reduced salary.
Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com reported that the Jets and Sanchez's representatives met Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine to discuss the quarterback's future. No resolutions were made, but the sides will keep an open dialogue.
Sanchez, meanwhile, is on the road to recovery following shoulder surgery. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported Sanchez is throwing with "good velocity," according to a source familiar with the rehab program. Sanchez is four months removed from surgery to repair a torn labrum.
Could Sanchez actually return to the Jets? It seems crazy, but it could become a real option if Sanchez is willing to take less money and the Jets don't see a better option on the open market. General manager John Idzik called Sanchez a starting-caliber quarterback, which is all you're really looking for in a veteran backup.
The question is if Idzik really believes that.
On the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys speculate on big names who could be cut, then talk offseason forecasts for the Packers and Raiders.