Mark Sanchez's Jets career will be remembered as a star-crossed affair in franchise lore.
The first-round pick famously helped guide New York to back-to-back AFC title game appearances in his first two seasons. Then it all fell apart, as prolonged ineffectiveness and a controversial shoulder injury paved the way for his release after five seasons.
Sanchez quickly found a home with the Eagles and now gets the opportunity to reboot his career with Nick Folessidelined by a clavicle injury. Former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe is pulling for Sanchez to write a successful new chapter.
"You know, I'm just so damn happy for Mark Sanchez," Bledsoe told Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. "I mean, going to play quarterback for the Jets, it's kind of like you know when they used to like take the pretty young virgin up to the edge of the volcano and just throw 'em in? That's kind of what it is when you play quarterback for the Jets. It just feels bad.
"And Mark had to live with that for a long time. And people threw him under the bus like he was the whole reason for the demise of the Jets. To see him be able to come on the field in a good system with good talent and perform well, I'm just really happy for him."
Bledsoe knows what it's like to be discarded by a franchise that once saw you as the savior. Like Sanchez, Bledsoe was a first-round pick who found success, got paid, got hurt then got replaced by the younger guy. (This is where the similarities between Geno Smith and Tom Brady end, for the record.)
The correct answer is the same as the number of Super Bowls the Jets have appeared in since Joe Namath. These things are probably related.
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