Jets acquire Tim Tebow from Broncos for draft picks
Reuters/Archivo
Move over Linsanity, it's time for Tebowmania.
The New York Jets acquired QB Tim Tebow on Wednesday from the Denver Broncos, just a day after they officially signed Peyton Manning, making their 2011 starter obsolete in the Mile High City.
The Jets confirmed agreeing to the deal on their website. FOXSports' Jay Glazer broke the news.
The Jets pick up Tebow and the Broncos' seventh-round pick for a fourth- and sixth-round choice.
It didn't take Denver VP of football operations John Elway long to find a willing suitor for the polarizing southpaw even as the Broncos were removing Tebow's pictures from their Englewood, Colo., facilities prior to Manning's introductory press conference yesterday.
"This is a tough business," Elway said Tuesday. "I will tell you the toughest thing about this whole thing is Tim Tebow because of what I think about Tim Tebow. ... The things that he did last year were tremendous in helping turn this organization around from a 4-12 team to a playoff team and winning the division.
"I have a great deal of respect for him as a person and the things that he does. There is no question the hardest thing about this business is the personal side. We just had to make a decision as an organization ... for what would be the best opportunity to be competitive for a world championship, and Peyton Manning was that. That is why we chose to go that direction."
The Jets, who locked up Mark Sanchez through 2016 with a three-year, $40.5 million extension March 9, are a bit of a surprising destination for Tebow, who is scheduled to make about $6.8 million over the next three seasons.
There seemed to be a desire to obtain a player to push Sanchez -- newly signed Drew Stanton and untested Greg McElroy are the other backups -- though Tebow's arrival would only seem to invite full-blown controversy the next time any struggles arise for Sanchez, who clearly already has a somewhat tenuous relationship with some teammates ... not to mention a fickle and unforgiving fan base.
MARKED MAN: Sanchez fires back at critics
However for all the flak Tebow takes for his 47.3% career completion percentage, Sanchez isn't much better (55.3%) and was outdueled by No. 15 in Denver last season. New York HC Rex Ryan has also pledged a re-commitment to his beloved ground-and-pound philosophy, and Tebow could certainly be an asset in numerous roles -- especially in a Wildcat package -- remember, the Jets used to employ it frequently and effectively before Brad Smith left for Buffalo, and new OC Tony Sparano made the gimmicky formation famous again in Miami.
Devout Tebow and raucous Ryan would seem to be an odd pairing, however it will be worth noting the effect the team-oriented quarterback has on a locker room that seemed to be fracturing by the end of the Jets' disappointing 8-8 season.
Yet one player already seems to be questioning the move. Jets CB Antonio Cromartie tweeted:
Y bring Tebow in when we need to bring in more Weapons for @Mark_Sanchez let's build the team around him. We already signed to 3 year ext.
Including playoffs, Tebow went 8-5 as the Broncos' triggerman in 2011 after taking over a 1-4 squad in Week 7. Denver won seven of his first eight starts, often in riveting style, before losing its final three regular-season games and backing into postseason as the AFC West champions.
PHOTOS: Tim Tebow in pictures
Tebow's 20-yard TD run with 58 seconds remaining sparked a 17-13 Week 11 defeat of the Jets in Denver.
"That's what he does. You keep the ball in your playmaker's hand," Ryan said at the time. "We thought he was going to carry the ball and he didn't disappoint us. But he ran for a touchdown. The kid's a competitor and makes big plays with the game on the line."
Tebow's 80-yard crossing strike to WR Demaryius Thomas on the first play of OT in the wild-card round gave the Broncos a shocking 29-23 upset of the reigning AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Tebow was ineffective and battered in the following weekend's season-ending rout at New England.
Tebow completed an NFL-worst 46.5% of his passes in 2011, but threw and ran for a combined 18 TDs while committing 12 turnovers. Sanchez committed 26 turnovers.
Fun fact: No one on the Jets' roster currently wears No. 15 -- so jersey shoppers can probably pre-order some soon.
This article was written by Nate Davis and appeared in USA Today. 
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