Mark Sanchez Continues Legacy of Troubled Jets, Quarterbacks

Eliza Kruger, 17-year-old daughter of a wealthy financier, recently told deadspin.com that she and New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez had a romantic tryst at his home in New Jersey after eating together at a fancy restaurant. If true, this puts Sanchez in select company with a couple of the NFL's elite quarterbacks when it comes to causing trouble with his "dating" habits. Can he come out of this in better shape that Brett Favre and Ben Roethlisberger have?

After Favre left the Jets to pilot the Minnesota Vikings, news broke that he'd had a cell phone "relationship" with fellow Jet employee Jenn Sterger. Since then, there has been a lot of he-said, she-said, neither-one-is-saying banter as the NFL tries to figure out what happened and if it was anything truly nefarious. The investigation is in a perpetual pending state, but things were grim enough for The League to eventually fine Favre, and it certainly didn't make is his latest retirement any sweeter.

Big Ben, on the other hand, is a repeat offender who seems to have trouble just going on a normal date. At this point, it's news every time Roethlisberger steps out of his house, and now that he's lost a Super Bowl, his margin for error is probably even smaller. Being a superstar is a rough life to live sometimes.

So, what of Mark Sanchez's situation? Well, he's a young guy, so it's not surprising that he's out on the dating scene, but 17?!? No matter how well-heeled a young lady is, putting yourself into that situation is just asking for trouble, particularly for such a public figure. Sanchez can learn a lesson from Favre and Roethlisberger, either for the good or the bad. This could be a crossroads for the young budding star.