Jets owner Woody Johnson says the team explored the possibility of signing Peyton Manning but ultimately "passed" on him in favor of a five-year commitment to incumbent quarterback Mark Sanchez. "We looked at the body of work of Mark Sanchez and wanted to put our faith in him," Johnson said on Fox Business Network. "We have a new offensive coordinator, Tony Sparano, who loves Mark and the team he has around him. "Mark is a very confident guy but not confident to a fault," Johnson later added. "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."