New York State of Mind
Let The Quarterback Battle Begin
The Tim Tebow, Peyton Manning saga finally came to a conclusion on Wednesday with Tebow being traded to the New York Jets for multiple draft picks. When the Broncos signed the legendary quarterback in Manning on Tuesday they found little need for the much-scrutinized Tebow. The organization believed that having both Manning and Tebow on the same roster would create a controversy that the squad would have trouble overcoming.
There were a few destinations that experts believed would be a good fit for the former Heisman Trophy winner. The early favorite was the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tebow is from the Jacksonville area and the Jaguars desperately need a face for their franchise. The second option for many was the Miami Dolphins, they have had quarterback struggles ever since Dan Marino left and bringing in Tebow could help bolster ticket sales. In the end the Jets flew in and landed Tebow.
The fact that Tebow was traded to the Jets comes as a surprise due to current quarterback Mark Sanchez’s new five-year contract that he received this offseason. Many Jets fans were angry and confused about the trade, as it increases the instability of the franchise and locker room. Last season ended horribly for the Jets as they ended up losing their last three games barely missing the playoffs. After their debacle many players spoke to the media about the arguing and bickering in the locker room. So bringing in Tebow creates an automatic quarterback controversy, which will not help calm the Jets locker room. Tebow’s popularity and mass appeal will have fans cheering for him to replace Sanchez as soon as possible. The first mistake that Sanchez makes could possibly be his last, as the vicious New York media will scrutinize his every move. The media will also call for head coach Rex Ryan to replace Sanchez as soon as possible and ignore what is really best for the team as a whole.
The other aspect that could make this a bad marriage is how the Jets plan to use Tebow. According to reports the Jets plan to use Tebow exclusively in their wildcat package, which could anger Tebow who still believes that he is a full time starting quarterback. No team in the league believed this, and Tebow chose the Jets as the best possible place to win back a starting job. No matter what occurs with the Jets and Tebow it will surely be daily headline news, which the Jets and the NFL have shown that they love and strive for.
