Mark Sanchez fears Jets will put him on IR

Kristian Dyer | Special for USA TODAY Sports

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Now that rookie Geno Smith has been named the New York Jets' starting quarterback for the season opener Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a person close to ailing Mark Sanchez told USA TODAY Sports that the quarterback "believes the organization wants to see him placed on (injured reserve) and be done with him."

The person said that Sanchez, who is nursing a shoulder injury, believes the Jets think "it makes it cleaner and easier" that way.

The person said Sanchez fears the "organization has turned its back on Mark and is prepared to move on. It is ready to start fresh with Geno."

Another person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports that Sanchez's shoulder "is progressing and it's too early to tell if he will be placed on IR."

Both persons requested anonymity because Sanchez had not spoken publicly about his fears.

So, it appears the injury that put coach Rex Ryan under fire might be the team's way to cut ties with Sanchez, the former first-round pick, or at least marginalize him for what is likely to be his final season with the Jets.

If placed on injured reserve, Sanchez could be lost for the season. The Jets are allowed to designate one player to return from injured reserve after Week 8, but it's unlikely that would be Sanchez, because the Jets have stockpiled quarterbacks.

They recently signed veteran Brady Quinn, and Matt Simms won a training camp battle for the No. 3 quarterback spot.

Ryan seemed to hedge on Sanchez's status Monday, saying, "If Mark's healthy, then, yes, I would say he'll be part of this team." Ryan added that injured reserve "is not what we're looking at right now." But he didn't rule it out.

The stumbling block to discarding Sanchez is his salary. He counts $12.9 million against the 2013 salary cap, and if he is released, he also would count $4.8 million against the cap in 2014.

The Jets could trade Sanchez, but they'd likely have to absorb most of his contract to make him marketable.

Two weeks ago, Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter of the Jets' third preseason game when Ryan put Sanchez in against the New York Giants.

At that point, Sanchez appeared to be the team's likely starter, because Smith had thrown three interceptions and taken an embarrassing safety against the Giants, all but handing the quarterback competition to Sanchez.

Instead, Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury on a hit by defensive lineman Marvin Austin. The Jets have labeled the injury day-to-day. That has raised questions about whether the injury is more serious than it appears or whether the Jets just want it to seem that way, so they could stash Sanchez on IR.

Smith, taken in the second round of April's draft, has endured a rocky preseason that included an ankle injury in his first preseason game and a practice that was called "brutal" by Ryan.

Despite the growing pains, Smith will start Sunday against the Bucs. Sanchez has not practiced nor been cleared to throw.

The first person with knowledge of the situation said there is a "widening schism" between Sanchez and the Jets.