Sanchez will be backup to McCoy in Washington

Mark Sanchez has found his landing spot back in the NFL.

Washington signed the veteran quarterback on Monday to serve as Colt McCoy’s backup after starter Alex Smith was lost for the season with a broken tibia and fibula on Sunday.

Washington did not have another quarterback on the active roster beyond McCoy, who stepped in for Smith in Sunday’s 23-21 loss to the Houston Texans.

Sanchez last played as Mitchell Trubisky’s backup with the Chicago Bears last season. He was suspended in April for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

In Washington, he is reunited with offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, who served as his quarterbacks coach with the New York Jets from 2009-’12. Washington offensive line coach Bill

Callahan also held the same role with the Jets for part of that time, while quarterbacks coach Kevin O’Connell served as a backup in 2011.

“We had a workout today; looked pretty good,” Washington coach Jay

Gruden said. “But based on his past experiences with Coach O’Connell and 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, a lot of experience; and Mark’s done that.”

Allen back under center for Bills:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will make his return to the starting lineup this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Coach Sean McDermott made the announcement Monday. Allen missed four games after suffering an elbow injury in Buffalo’s Week 6 loss to the Houston Texans. He returned to the practice field before the team’s Week 11 bye but didn’t play in Week 10 against the New York Jets.

Matt Barkley started for Buffalo against the Jets and provided the team with its best performance under center this season. He threw for 232 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 41-10 win on Nov. 11.

Tannehill closer to return: Ryan

Tannehill is throwing the ball 50 yards in side sessions, and the Miami Dolphins would love to see those passes in a game.

Maybe this week.

Tannehill made progress during the team’s bye week in his rehabilitation from a throwing shoulder injury, and remains on schedule to meet his goal of returning Sunday at Indianapolis.

There are significant hurdles yet to be cleared. Coach Adam Gase said he didn’t even know whether Tannehill would participate fully in practice this week, but sounded upbeat about his quarterback’s recent progress.

“I feel like it is forever since I’ve seen him throw,” Gase said. “To me he looks like what he once looked like.”

Brock Osweiler has gone 2-3 starting for Tannehill.