The New York Jets’ acquisition of Tim Tebow turned into as big of a disaster as many expected it to be. And now, a few days after it was announced that Greg McElroy would replace Mark Sanchez as the team’s starting quarterback, multiple reports say the Jets will trade or release Tebow after the season.
The New York Post, Newsday, and New York Daily News all cited sources saying that Tebow and the Jets will part ways after the season. The reports come as no surprise given the way the team has handled Tebow all season.
Tebow has played less than 75 offensive snaps this season, and he was only allowed to attempt eight passes. The Jets have seemed reluctant to give him a shot at quarterback. The first time they benched Sanchez for poor play was when Tebow was inactive with a rib injury. Now that they’re benching Sanchez again, it’s McElroy getting the start, much to Tebow’s unhappiness.
“Obviously, I’m a little disappointed,” Tebow said this week. “You try to handle it the best you can.”
Head coach Rex Ryan admitted that things didn’t go as planned.
“Well it hasn’t worked out,” Ryan said Thursday. “We have had some big plays out of it or whatever. For whatever reason, it hasn’t had quite the success that I actually thought it would.”
Tebow’s most valuable contributions to the Jets have come on special teams where he served as a punt protector and ran fake punts. The former first-round pick by the Denver Broncos is scheduled to earn a base salary of $2.5 million next season. Given the lack of interest in Tebow when he has been available in trades, it’s unlikely he will be able to continue in the NFL if he wants to remain at quarterback.
What we do know is that Tebow must be thrilled that the Jets plan to let him go after the season, considering that’s what he reportedly wanted.
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