Mark Sanchez was supposed to miss the start of Denver Broncos OTAs after surgery to repair a torn ligament on his thumb. Apparently, Sanchez didn’t get that memo.
He surprised everyone by showing up for the first day of OTAs and took “plenty of work” with the first team, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN, who noted “It is a little more evidence of how badly Sanchez wants to be the Broncos starter.”
Sanchez hasn’t been shy about expressing his great desire for this fresh start with the Broncos. He’s already organized workouts with his receivers away from the franchise and John Elway recently made it clear Sanchez could be the starter if he works his “butt off.”
That said, there is no doubt Sanchez has been reading the same things we have about the team’s excitement over rookie quarterback Paxton Lynch. With that in mind, it certainly appears Sanchez made a decision to ensure he won’t be falling behind the rookie as the team progresses forward this spring.
When healthy, Sanchez is very much an average quarterback. In six years as a pro, he’s completed 56.7 percent of his passes with 86 touchdowns and 84 interceptions, compiling a record of 37-35 as a starter. Even under the best circumstances, he hasn’t been the type of passer who can carry an offense.
However, given the Broncos’ desire to establish a running game and build the offense around that, he could be the right man for the job at the present time.
Still, he’ll be looking over his shoulder as long as he’s in Denver. The Broncos traded up for Lynch, had him rated higher than Jared Goff and have designs on making him the starter as soon as he’s ready. Based on what we’ve seen thus far, such a move could even happen as early as Week 1, if not a bit later into the season.