Lito Less Than Thrilled With Benching

Lito Sheppard wasn't too happy about spending most of yesterday's AFC Championship Game on the sideline.

"I knew about it at the beginning of the week - Wednesday, when we got in" to practice, Sheppard said. "It was obviously a big surprise."

And a big disappointment, similar in nature to the end of his tenure with the Eagles when he went from Pro Bowl starter to the fourth cornerback behind Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, and Joselio Hanson.

"I've been through this situation before," Sheppard said. "I didn't think it would happen again, but we'll see how it goes."

....

"I felt like I was a key part of this team that helped us get to this point, and there was no answer that was going to satisfy me other than me being out there," Sheppard said. "I'm not a disgruntled player. I'm not going to make a scene and distract the other players. You just have to go with what they say."

This is the kind of comment you would expect from any competitor, particularly when his replacements were being dominated. Still, you have to wonder whether Lito has played his last game with the team. He's due a big roster bonus. If the Jets are willing to bench him for such a big game, do they really think he's part of the long term solution?