Who needs Peyton Manning when we've got Mark Sanchez?

That, essentially, was how Jets owner Woody Johnson put it, explaining the recent flirtation with Manning and decision to extend Sanchez's contract.

"We passed on him," Johnson said of Manning, commenting during an interview Tuesday night on the Fox Business Network. "We’re signed up with our quarterback. Sanchez is not leaving. We’ve got a pretty good tether, we’ve got five years. We like Mark."

The Jets inquired about Manning, Johnson acknowledged, adding: "Our fans expect us to look at every opportunity. We looked at the body of work of Mark Sanchez and wanted to put our faith in him. We have a new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, who loves Mark and the team he has around him."

Johnson also said of Sanchez, "Mark is a very confident guy, but not confident to a fault. I think he’s going to be an excellent leader. I think we’ll see a so-called growth spurt this year. I think he’ll be very good with Tony’s offense."