Report: Tebow will ask to be traded or released after season
It took 15 weeks, but Jets coach Rex Ryan has finally benched quarterback Mark Sanchez. But instead of giving the job to Tim Tebow, whom the Jets traded for in March with grand plans to revitalize a tired offense, seventh-rounder Greg McElroy will be under center when the team faces the Chargers on Sunday.
CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman wrote Tuesday that when the Jets traded for Tebow they told him he'd get a chance to start if Sanchez went off the rails. Now that McElroy has the gig, Tebow feels misled.
But there's more, via the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta.
Next domino in Jets QB situation: Tim Tebow will request to be traded/released after season assuming McElroy starts last 2 games, per source
— Manish Mehta(@MMehtaNYDN) December 19, 2012
We eagerly await owner Woody Johnson's response. In October, he was asked about Tebow's future in New York.
"Are we going to keep Tebow? Absolutely," he said at the time. "He'll be with us for three years ... I think he's going to be a real valuable asset in terms of helping us win games."
So valuable, in fact, the team rarely uses Tebow. And when it finally does it sets him up to fail. That's some strategery. Of course, after Monday's debacle, Johnson only had eight words for the media: "I'll talk to you guys after the season."
We don't expect Tebow to say anything publicly because that's not how he operates. Still, one question lingers: If Ryan was so big on Tebow nine months ago, why wouldn't he let him play in two meaningless late-season games?
Our guess: If Sanchez and his $8.25 million guaranteed salary for 2013 are truly "uncuttable," there's no reason to stoke the flames with Tebow Time only to cut him a few weeks later, with the full intentions of giving Sanchez the job in the offseason. In related news: nice job fixing that locker room, Rex.
If nothing else, it gives us a chance to dust off something we wrote in March, after the Broncos signed Peyton Manning: Which teams might be interested in Tebow?
Jacksonville's our early favorite. Not because Tebow makes the Jags better but because he's from the area and he has a huge following. Hey, it's more than Sanchez can say.
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