Mark Sanchez Released by Broncos: Latest Comments and Reaction

The Mark Sanchez era for the Denver Broncos has ended before it even began, as the defending Super Bowl champions will reportedly release the quarterback, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

James Palmer of NFL Network confirmed the move.

The Broncos acquired Sanchez in a March trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional draft pick. He was expected to compete for the starting quarterback job.  

As the preseason moved along, though, it became apparent that Sanchez was not taking to Broncos head coach Gary Kubiak's offense.

He started the team's preseason opener on August 11 against the Chicago Bears. That would be the highlight of Sanchez's preseason because he didn't even play in the third game, which is often when the starters see the most action to prepare for the regular season. 

Palmer summed up how things went for Sanchez during Denver's second preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers:

That drive, in many ways, encapsulates Sanchez's entire career. He entered the NFL with a lot of hype after the New York Jets made him the fifth overall pick and was effective in helping a team built around a strong running game and defense reach back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009 and 2010. 

Pro Football Focus showed the career numbers for Sanchez do not paint a pretty picture for him as a starter in 2016:

Kubiak named 2015 seventh-round pick Trevor Siemian Denver's starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season. 

This made Sanchez expendable because the Broncos also invested their first-round pick this year in Paxton Lynch, whom they need to develop for the future. 

Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk reported the Broncos were seeking to trade Sanchez. Even with the need that teams have for quarterback depth, it's not surprising the Broncos couldn't find a worthwhile offer for Sanchez based on his preseason performance and overall NFL track record.

Sanchez needs to find a team that has a lot of talent around him to maximize his strengths and hide his weaknesses. The Broncos were a perfect fit because they won a Super Bowl with an awful quarterback situation last year.

In many ways, being released is better for Sanchez. He can sit back and wait for a perfect situation to open up instead of having no control over which team acquires him and hoping there are enough playmakers on offense to help him succeed.