NFL

Jets waited nine days after injury to give Tebow MRI

Even when Tim Tebow doesn’t play, he dominates conversation.

There was a ton of talk around the Jets yesterday about Tebow’s two broken ribs that kept him out of Thursday’s game against the Patriots. Jets coach Rex Ryan seemed to dance around questions about Tebow, forcing the team to later clarify things.

The Jets initially believed the backup quarterback’s rib injury was not that serious when it occurred Nov. 11 in Seattle. The team did not give him an MRI exam and CT scan until Tuesday, nine days after the injury occurred, the team confirmed. The test revealed Tebow had two broken ribs.

The Jets medical staff believed Tebow was just sore and treated the injury with ice. He practiced fully after the Seahawks game and played three snaps on offense and on the punt team against the Rams. Tebow had trouble sleeping Monday night and the Jets doctors decided to give him an MRI exam and CT scan the following day. Tebow did not miss any practice time.

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Tebow was active for the 49-19 loss to the Patriots but did not play. That raised questions as to why Ryan even had Tebow active instead of third-string quarterback Greg McElroy.

“People have played with cracked ribs and all that, guys have played,” Ryan said yesterday. “It was told to me he could play and I wasn’t going to play him unless it was an absolute emergency.”

Ryan said he did not find out about Tebow’s injury until Wednesday. The team later clarified he was actually told Tuesday night. Tebow was not declared active until just before game time on Thursday. He declined to have any pain-killing injections.

“I was told the day before about his cracked ribs and literally I saw him, but that was when I found out about him having the cracked ribs,” Ryan said. “I don’t know the exact specifics of it. I’m not sure what showed the cracked ribs. I’m not sure, guys. When I found out and I was talking to Tim, and he said he had sore ribs, I don’t think he knew.”

Ryan said both Tebow and the team’s medical staff said he could play.

“He absolutely, 100 percent could’ve played in that game,” Ryan said.

* LB Bart Scott played just 11 plays on Thursday, but was at fault for giving up the 83-yard touchdown reception to Shane Vereen. Scott also gave up another long pass. Despite that, Ryan said he thought Scott should have played more in the game. … WR Clyde Gates has a concussion, Ryan said. … LB Garrett McIntyre was fined $15,750 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Rams quarterback Sam Bradford last week.