Rex: 'If we had Tom Brady, I'd be happy'

With rumors swirling about what the Jets intend to do with their mess at quarterback, head coach Rex Ryan joked about one quarterback that could make New York's troubles disappear.

"I'll be honest with you," Ryan told reporters. "If we had Tom Brady, I'd be happy with that. We don't."

Ryan said he isn't ready to talk about next season with two games left in 2012 while dismissing a report that the Jets intend to pursue an active trade market for Mark Sanchez, who is owed $8.25 million in 2013. Ryan insists his focus is on his team in the final two games, not the embattled quarterback.

"That didn't come from me," Ryan said, via the New York Daily News. "I have absolutely zero focus on that right now. That's for another day."

Ryan was repeatedly asked by reporters to address the future of the team's quarterback position after he named Greg McElroy his starter for Sunday's game against the Chargers, which will be the first career start for the Alabama product who has lost just three games as a starter since high school.

As for rumors of the team's interest in Michael Vick, Ryan said, "I think I'll focus on the players we have on this roster instead of somebody else's players."

Ryan also defended the work of his offensive coordinator Tony Sparano during the 6-8 season to date. But he stopped short of guaranteeing Sparano's return, or his own. 

"You know the policy of this organization is not to discuss those things until after the season," Ryan said. 

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