4 Ways Mark Sanchez Can Revive His Career in 2013

Mark Sanchez is down and out, but he's not dead yet.

At the age of 26, Sanchez still has a bright future in the NFL, given the right circumstances. 

After two good seasons and two seasons that he'd rather forget, Sanchez has a chance to turn things around in 2013, and I've got just the remedy to cure what ails him.

If you don't believe me, just take a look at what happened to Alex Smith when he finally got the right kind of support—well, before getting a knife in the back, anyways (kidding). 

The NFL is a brutal business. Sanchez went from being dubbed the "Sanchize" to being discarded like a used up handkerchief only a few years later. But there's always another chance for redemption, and Sanchez's road to glory isn't as far-fetched as you may think.

Get. Away. From. The. Jets.

The New York Jets are the killer rabbit to Mark Sanchez's career.

Run away!

Sanchez was thought by many (including me) to have come out of college a year early, but the Jets traded up to get him, anointed him the "Sanchize" and attempted to turn him into Tom Brady.

Never mind that he has accuracy issues. Sanchez always needed a strong running game to keep defenses off balance so that his deficiencies could be masked. That's what he had at USC and it's what the Jets gave him for his first two seasons. 

Then, the running game died a horrible, slow death and the team's offensive line imploded, exposing Sanchez's weaknesses for all to see. 

Throw in a couple of subpar offensive coordinators who aren't known for developing quarterbacks—Brian Schottenheimer and Tony Sparano—and you come up with Sanchez's horrific 2012 campaign. 

Sanchez needs to go to an organization with stability and an offensive coordinator adept at training young quarterbacks. 

But above all else, he needs to leave New York. 

Get Back to Basics

Mark Sanchez needs to spend the entire offseason getting his basic skills sharpened up. 

As badly as he's regressed the past couple of seasons, he needs to forget about everything the Jets have been teaching him and find a proven quarterback guru who will take him on, strip him down to bare bones and teach him anew.

It hasn't helped Sanchez that his offensive line has resembled a turnstile the past two seasons, but the fact remains that his mechanics have turned sour and his basic confidence has waned to the point of near death.

He should study Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers to see what makes them so great, and above all else, Sanchez needs to be reprogrammed from the feet up to his eyeballs. 

Reach out to Alex Smith

If there's one player in the NFL right now that can relate to Mark Sanchez, it's Alex Smith of the San Francisco 49ers. 

Smith endured six horrendous seasons with the 49ers, adjusting to a different offensive coordinator every single season, suffering behind a terrible offensive line and working with receivers that weren't close to being mediocre.

Smith feels your pain, Sanchez.

Somehow, some way, Smith managed to keep his head up and keep fighting to become an excellent quarterback. Jim Harbaugh came into town, helped him to start seeing the field better and helped him with his accuracy issues. 

Smith, like Sanchez, also has limitations. But he and Harbaugh worked together to play to his strengths, and he became one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL.

Smith can offer Sanchez some wisdom and encouragement as he attempts to pick himself back up. 

Start Seeing a Sports Psychologist

Mark Sanchez won't admit it, but he has confidence issues, and the way he gets rattled these days is disconcerting. 

Furthermore, his epic failures in crunch time show that he isn't working with a clear mind while on the football field. 

There's something blocking him from performing at his best when the game is on the line or when his team is in the red zone, and a getting in touch with a sports psychologist would be a tremendous step in the right direction.

Sanchez can become an excellent quarterback under the right circumstances, but he needs to take a few steps back before he can move forwards. 

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78 and check out my weekly NFL picks at Pickfactor.com