Matt Leinart, John Beck to work out for Jets

Throw a few more names in the mix at quarterback in New York. With Mark Sanchez hurt, the Jets are looking at a pair of replacements -- the same two guys the Bills are looking at to replace Kevin Kolb.

by Rodger Sherman

Aug 25, 2013, 1:39 PM UTC

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

What’s better than one highly touted USC quarterback prospect-turned-NFL flameout? TWO highly touted USC quarterback prospects-turned-NFL flameouts! Multiple reports indicate the Jets are bringing in Matt Leinart, as well as John Beck, to work out at quarterback after Mark Sanchez hurt his shoulder in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s preseason game.

It appears Leinart and Beck are the fill-in quarterbacks du jour: they were reported to be working out for the Bills after Kevin Kolb went down with a concussion in Buffalo’s preseason game. No word on who gets first dibs on the quarterbacks as the Empire State’s two AFC East squads look for replacements.

It’s a strange situation for the Jets. Sanchez may or may not have been in the mix to start -- it seemed as if Geno Smith was a shoo-in for the No. 1 gig if he could show he could hold onto the ball with everybody in the organization soured on Sanchez, but Smith tossed three picks in his first preseason start Saturday. Then Sanchez got hurt late. They have Matt Simms and Greg McElroy on the roster, with Simms leading the team to victory Saturday and McElroy leading a game-winning drive last year against Arizona, but apparently the organization isn’t particularly comfortable without a contingency plan on the roster.

Leinart, of course, was the star quarterback at USC before Sanchez and was the No. 10 pick in the 2006 draft, but could never reliably hold on to the starting gig in Arizona, and bumped between the Texans and Raiders over the past few years. Beck has seen playing time on the Dolphins and Redskins in the past, but has thrown over twice as many career interceptions (seven) as touchdowns (three).