Peyton Manning Rumors: Jets' Interest in Chad Henne Doesn't Bode Well for Peyton

Chad Henne may be the reason Peyton Manning doesn’t sign with the New York Jets.

Let that sink in for a second, Jets fans.

A recent report from Alex Marvez of Fox Sports suggests that the free agent is on their radar:

"

The New York Jets  are considered a strong contender to land Henne. They’re seeking a quarterback — at the right price — to push foundering starter Mark Sanchez . Henne also would be reunited in New York with new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, who, ironically enough, also was shown the door in South Florida when fired as head coach last December.

"

Henne appeared in four games with the Miami Dolphins last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, collecting 868 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. According to the report, he is looking to make somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 million a year.  

It’s no secret that the front office is contemplating how they can create some competition for Mark Sanchez, and when you listen to Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum he basically says as much in a recent radio interiew (via New York Post):

"

Mark Sanchez wants to be great because that’s who he is. With that said, we’re looking at that position very carefully and I wouldn’t be surprised if at the end of the day, by September, that position group as a whole looks a little bit different than it did at the end of the 2011 season.

"

So where does Manning fit in to all of this? It sounds like the team isn’t going to get rid of Sanchez, who has two years left and a base salary of $13.25 million on his rookie contract. He is relatively cheap by QB standards.

Manning is going to command at least $13 million a year and would have to be the starter instantly. There is no way they would sign both Henne and Manning. That would be roughly $25 million tied in one position. For a team that already has a ton of money tied up, it wouldn’t work.

That’s why I’ve always been skeptical of the Jets as a landing pad for Manning because of the financial repercussions. The only way for them to logically land Manning is if they cut Sanchez.

Then Manning and Henne could coexist.  

It’s not happening. Sanchez is going to be a Jet in 2012, and if I had to put money on the other QB on their roster it’s going to be Henne, who will likely give Sanchez a run for his money as starter.

Depending on how you feel about Sanchez, it’s a tough pill to swallow. Nothing like a Henne-Sanchez QB battle to kick off a season.