FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez wakes up these days and hops out of bed, pain free.
The New York Jets quarterback is no longer concerned about his surgically repaired left knee, confident he will participate in minicamp in less than two weeks.
"Everyday it's feeling better, and that's been key," Sanchez said Thursday. "After long days of work and lower-body lifting days, the big thing is coming back the next day not swollen, achy or hurting. It's been great."
Sanchez had the patella-stabilizing ligament in the knee repaired in February, and he has participated in individual and passing drills since organized team activities began a few weeks ago.
Sanchez has been involved in one 11-on-11 drill -- a handoff that was unplanned last week -- as a result of the team being cautious and not wanting to rush him back.
"If things keep going the way they are, if they progress the way they are now, I'm confident I'll be ready to go," Sanchez said of the three-day minicamp that begins June 14. "It's ultimately going to be up to the training staff and Rex. I feel good about it. I'm confident."
Team doctors told Sanchez that he is recovering faster than most who have had the same procedure. Sanchez said the most unsettling part of the rehabilitation process was dealing with the scar tissue popping in the weeks after the surgery.
"Part of it is the psychological rehab, too," he said. "You want to feel right about it in your head first, and that's why we do all the exercises in the training room. My feet are under me and I'm getting some good spin on the ball, really using my legs."
Sanchez has spent the offseason getting a better feel for the offense by studying the playbook and hunkering down in meeting rooms with coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh.
"All of that time rehabbing the injury has been a blessing because he's been here with the coaches all the time," Ryan said. "He really knows our offense. It shows."
Ryan raved about Sanchez's poise as a rookie last season. The coach has been impressed by the jump that Sanchez has taken, despite recovering from the surgery.
"He's throwing the ball as well now as he did at any point of the year last year," Ryan said. "He looks tremendous to me."
Sanchez said there were times last season when he paused for a second when Schottenheimer would give him a play. Not anymore.
"It's to the point where Schotty is barely starting to get the play call out of his mouth and I'm starting to walk away and he's grabbing me to make sure I get the whole call," Sanchez said. "But I feel good about it. That's the way I want it to be."
Sanchez is planning a get-together in California in early July with the Jets' receivers so they can continue to bond on the field. Sanchez organized something similar when he was at USC.
"We're figuring out a way to get everybody out there, work on some routes and stuff that wanted to do whether I was healthy of hurt during these OTAs," Sanchez said. "I think not being in these OTAs is even more important to get these extra reps to make up for a little lost time we had in OTAs and make sure we're sharp going into (training) camp."
Sanchez hopes to make the gathering an annual event.
"I don't want to kill these guys," he said with a smile. "We'll have fun with it."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
