Washington has signed Mark Sanchez to be backup quarterback to Colt McCoy following the season ending injury to Alex Smith.

Washington opted for Sanchez from a group that also included E.J. Manuel, Kellen Clemens, Josh Johnson and T.J. Yates.

Jay Gruden said that familiarity was part of the team's decision to go with Sanchez.

"We had a workout today; looked pretty good," Gruden said Monday. "But [it's] based on his past experiences with Coach (Kevin) O'Connell and (Matt) Cavanaugh. He's won some playoff games, he's got a lot of experience. I think this time of the year, you need somebody who's taken some meaningful snaps, [with] a lot of experience, and Mark's done that."