Mark Sanchez benched for Greg McElroy

Mark Sanchez played so poorly on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals that the New York Jets decided to finally replace him at quarterback. They didn’t send in Tim Tebow to take his spot, but second-year quarterback Greg McElroy.

McElroy was a seventh-round pick by the team last year from Alabama where he won a national championship. He was activated on gameday Sunday for the first time in his NFL career and served as Sanchez’s backup with Tebow inactive to rest his fractured ribs.

McElroy entered the game with just under five minutes left in third quarter to a standing ovation from the fans. He handed the ball off for a big gain on his first NFL play, and completed his first career pass on a third-and-six to give the Jets a first down. A few plays later, he threw his first career touchdown pass, which gave the Jets the lead.

Sanchez was 10/21 for 97 yards and three interceptions at the time of his benching. The Jets were only trailing 3-0.

Many people were quick to note that head coach Rex Ryan finally decided to bench Sanchez on the week Tebow was inactive.

Prior to Sunday, the only time McElroy had really made headlines with the Jets was when he blasted the team for its selfish behavior.

Photo via @BleacherReport