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Jets owner: Mark Sanchez "will be on the team"

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will make $8.25 million guaranteed this season. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Injured Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will make $8.25 million guaranteed this season. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez

New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is standing behind his injured quarterback Mark Sanchez, as the team continues to tinker with who will be the long-term solution at the position.

Rookie Geno Smith will get the nod this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Johnson said earlier that Sanchez, who was hurt in the fourth quarter of the team's third preseason game, needed to avoid being injured. Sanchez is expected to miss a couple of weeks with a hurt throwing shoulder.

"I wished he hadn't gotten hurt, but you've got to protect yourself, too," Johnson said.

Later, Johnson backtracked from that statement saying he wasn't Sanchez's fault that he got hurt.

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Johnson said the team has no plans to release Sanchez for now. Sanchez is set to be paid a guaranteed salary of $8.25 million this season.

"Mark will be on the team, I don't think there's any question about that," said Johnson. "He's a very, very good quarterback. Franchise quarterback, you can debate the term. There's a competition for the job, and he's still in the competition."