Surgery Ends Season For Sanchez Finding Mark Sanchez on the Jets" victorious sideline Monday night in Atlanta was not difficult. He was the one standing beside Coach Rex Ryan pumping his fist and sticking his tongue out with joy. As he celebrated with teammates, though, Sanchez knew that his hopes of joining them again this season had vanished. He flew to Florida for surgery Tuesday that repaired the torn labrum in his right shoulder. In a statement, Sanchez said that Dr. James Andrews, who performed the surgery, and other doctors consulted had said that his injury "clearly needs to be addressed surgically." The operation ended a frustrating season, which crumbled Aug. 24, when Sanchez was injured in the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Giants. It also almost certainly ended his career with the Jets, who selected him fifth over all in 2009 and then drafted his successor, Geno Smith, in April. Sanchez, signed through 2016, has a prohibitive contract and, even before getting hurt, was a prime candidate to be released after the season. The timing of the surgery was symbolic, coming a day after Smith dazzled in a 30-28 comeback victory against the Falcons, throwing three touchdown passes and driving the Jets 55 yards for the winning 43-yard field goal by Nick Folk. Smith represents the same promise as Sanchez four years ago, when he led the Jets to the first of two consecutive appearances in the A.F.C. title game. That, as it turned out, was the apex of his career. The team's declining fortunes coincided with the regression of Sanchez, who committed 52 turnovers over the past two seasons. If not for his $8.25 million salary - guaranteed by the contract extension brokered in March 2012 - the Jets very likely would have released him after last season, when he lost his starting job. He has handled every challenge - the trade for Tim Tebow, Tony Sparano's unproductive stint as offensive coordinator and Smith's arrival - with public grace and professionalism. But Sanchez was not pleased that he was inserted late into a meaningless preseason game against the Giants, behind a backup offensive line, on the night he had appeared to secure the starting job because of Smith's struggles. Sanchez had long hoped to avoid surgery, and on Sept. 14 the Jets placed him on injured reserve, designated for return, so he could rejoin the team in Week 11 if his shoulder had sufficiently improved. By then, it had become evident that Sanchez's injury, however unfortunate, allowed the Jets a convenient way to move forward without him: short of injury, there seemed no plausible situation that would call for Sanchez to supplant Smith, who represents the team's immediate if not long-term future. General Manager John Idzik said in a statement that Sanchez would "have our full support for a complete recovery." But it is difficult to imagine every step of that recovery taking place at the Jets" facility. By releasing Sanchez after the season, the Jets would save $8.3 million against the salary cap - money that could be allocated in other areas, such as building around Smith, the new franchise quarterback.