And just like that, it’s over. With their second-round pick in the NFL Draft, the New York Jets pulled Geno Smith from West Virginia and closed the door on any potential return of Tim Tebow, the quarterback who was supposed to be a big risk with a great potential reward for the team. Instead, Tebow’s time in New York was largely wasted, both for him and the entire organization.
However, it started with such fanfare. The Jets completed a complicated trade deal with Tebow’s former team, the Denver Broncos, who had just signed Peyton Manning after the Indianapolis Colts released him. Once Tebow arrived in New York, the Jets scheduled the largest press conference in team history for what was ostensibly a backup quarterback.
The Jets brought Tebow in for two main football-related purposes. The first was for him to compete with current QB Mark Sanchez, who had just come off a disappointing 26-turnover season. The second reason was to add a running game through the Wildcat offense, although Tebow had little experience with that particular strategy.
Tebow was also taken to New York for at least two unrelated purposes. One was for the Jets to take some of the limelight away from the New York Giants, who had just won the Super Bowl. The other purpose was, of course, to sell tickets and jerseys, since Tebow has one of the largest fan bases in the NFL for any particular player, and fans would pay for the chance to see him on the field.
It never worked out, however, as Tebow struggled in practice and his coaches and offensive coordinators didn’t trust him enough to put him in a game for more than one or two plays. It was almost as if the Jets had no real plan for handling the quarterback, and his stay in New York quickly turned into a confusing and embarrassing disaster for everyone involved.
With six quarterbacks on their roster at the end of the NFL Draft, everyone knew something had to give, and Tebow was the first quarterback to be released after draft weekend. The Jets had hoped to trade him to a team for a different player or another draft pick, but there is little interest in the league for Tebow.
While the Jets didn’t take a huge hit in terms of the trade or their financial situation, they have been in terms of their integrity. To acquire Tebow, they had to give up a fourth-round draft pick and pay him $2.5 million, but they’ve hurt their own brand with Tebow’s handling. Other players may be much less inclined to believe anything the organization promises after this fiasco.
