Don't expect the Jets’ players to do backflips if Mark Brunell takes over as the team’s No. 2 quarterback this season.
A Daily News poll of more than a dozen starters revealed that the overwhelming majority favored Kellen Clemens over the 17-year veteran if Mark Sanchez misses any time in 2010.
The Jets can’t sign Brunell, who visited the team’s training facility in April, until the “Final Eight” rule is lifted on July 22 or they lose one of their own unrestricted free agents.
"Brunell? Isn't he like 50 years old?" said one player of the three-time Pro Bowl signal caller, who will turn 40 in September.
"I didn't even know Brunell was still in the league until we played them last year," said another player of the former Saints’ backup, who filed for bankruptcy last week and is a reported $24.7 million in debt after failed real estate ventures.
Although most of the players agreed that Brunell would be a good mentor for Sanchez, they felt he had very little to offer on the field at this stage of his career. Brunell has only one start and 30 pass attempts in the past three seasons. He has just one more start (10) than Clemens (9) in the past four years.
Former Raiders' QB JaMarcus Russell isn't likely to become a Jet either. There's a less than 10 percent chance that the former No. 1 overall pick will be wearing green and white, according to a league source. The Jets made one exploratory call to Russell's agent, but talks aren't expected to continue beyond that.
Jet fans can rejoice. Its unlikely the "Hefty Lefty" will join "Gang Green."
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