Former Jets first-round QB is headed to the USFL – Home

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Getty A New York Jets fan expressing himself passionately during an NFL game.

Since retiring from the NFL in 2018, former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez has found a second life in his post-football career.

He’s made routine appearances on national sports talk shows, has announced a few college football games, and is now headed to the USFL.

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No, not for a comeback, his playing days are behind him, but Sánchez will call games for the new league that officially starts on Saturday, April 16.

The first and only game on record will feature the New Jersey Generals taking on the Birmingham Stallions.

Sanchez will be a key part of Fox Sports’ USFL #2 broadcast team along with Kevin Kugler and Brock Huard.

The United States Soccer League was originally founded in 1982 and ran for three seasons before it ceased operations.

Fast-forward 36 years later and the league has been reborn. It will feature a 10-week regular season, a full playoff schedule and a championship game.

The new USFL will have a variety of new twists, from microphone players to drone cameras to helmet cameras. You can read more about the rules, regulations and additional information from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

remembering better times

It’s hard to believe the Jets haven’t been in the playoffs since Sanchez held his own as the starting quarterback.

It feels like another lifetime ago in many ways and now this current crop of Jets is trying to get back there.

The foundation of that success more than a decade ago was built on a strong running game, stifling defense and a quarterback who didn’t blow everything.

Though during that maturing process, there were certainly times when Sanchez far exceeded those minimal expectations and delivered some amazing pitches in the playoffs. He was a key part of both conference championship trips.

Today, Mark Sanchez announced that he was hanging up his shoes to start a new career with ESPN.

The Patriots haven’t lost a divisional playoff game in Foxborough since 2011, when Sanchez and the Jets beat them.

(via @nflthrowback)pic.twitter.com/uQ0x91ivWk

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 24, 2019

Now, more than 11 years later, the Jets don’t have the same luxury with a 27th-ranked running game (2021) and a defense that allowed the most points in the league last season (504 points).

This is an adapt or die type of world and football has changed in that time span. This is a passing league and the success or failure of a team is often determined by the ceiling of their starting quarterback.

That’s why the Jets selected Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. They weren’t trying to find a game manager, Gang Green was looking for a franchise quarterback who had an incredible ceiling.

Now the Verdiblanco’s task this offseason is to surround him with as much talent as possible to maximize those ceiling projections. They’ve done a solid job so far in free agency, but what happens in the 2022 NFL draft will set the stage for what’s to come this fall.

Follow @BoyGreen25 and @obermuller_nyj on Twitter for the latest New York Jets news, rumors, retakes and more!

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