Not long after the New York Daily News reported that some Jets players and officials -- who remained anonymous -- ripped their own quarterback Mark Sanchez, a few other Jets teammates stepped up to defend him against accusations that he is lazy.
On Thursday, another important Jets figure showed that he has Sanchez's back.. owner Woody Johnson.
"I've never heard that," Johnson said during an appearance on MSNBC, as reported by the Daily News. "He's the first guy in the building every morning and the last guy to leave. So, the last thing he is is lazy. He’s an NFL quarterback. That’s what you expect from an NFL quarterback. I think everybody is a little frustrated."
According to the initial report, Sanchez's work ethic was a point of contention, with one of the anonymous gripers going as far as to say that the team should acquire a healthy Peyton Manning if possible.
Among the players to come out in defense of the beleaguered signal caller was four-time Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold, who quickly called out whomever decided to remain anonymous.
"The guy puts in more work and more time, cares more about the team than I think anybody else in that locker room." Mangold said. "And for somebody to come out and say that, and not put their name behind it, really bothered me."
Mangold also took issue with third-string quarterback Greg McElroy's comments following the season finale, in which he claimed there were several players who were selfish and didn't care if the team won or lost.
"Greg got a little ahead of himself for where he is," Mangold said on ESPN 1050. "A lot of things he brought up should stay in-house and should be taken care of in the locker room. I was a little disappointed with Greg and we've talked about it."
To his credit, Mangold didn't deny McElroy's comments about the trouble in the locker room despite sharing his displeasure with them being aired publicly. Does this tacit admission of drama behind the scenes lends some credibility to his version of Sanchez's story?