NFL

Tebow ‘excited’ to work with Jets starting QB Sanchez

It was a different kind of faith that brought Tim Tebow to the Jets.

The newly acquired quarterback met the media as a member of the Jets for the first time Monday at the team’s fieldhouse in Florham Park, and he credited coach Rex Ryan’s confidence in him as one of the main reasons he favored the Jets over the Jaguars.

Tebow said that ultimately the Broncos had the power where to trade him, but he was consulted about his next destination after Denver acquired Peyton Manning.

“First and foremost it was my relationship with the coaches,” said Tebow, who was not accompanied by members of Jets brass, who were in Palm Springs, Fla., for the NFL owners meetings.

“It was having football coaches that believed in you. It was having football coaches that saw ability in me, having coaches that I really respect how they coach the game for who they were. I have always had a great relationship with coach Ryan, with (offensive coordinator Tony) Sparano, [I’m] excited about working with (quarterback coach Matt) Cavanaugh.

“And also you have so much respect for (owner) Mr. (Woody) Johnson, (GM) Mr. (Mike) Tannenbaum. If you look at the facilities, they really don’t get much better. So there are a lot of pros and not a lot of cons, so I am excited about that.”

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The Jets agreed to a trade for Tebow and a seventh-round pick Wednesday for a fourth-round and a sixth-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. The Jets announced the move on Twitter, but it hit a snag over $5 million the Jets would have had to pay the Broncos in salary that was already advanced to Tebow.

The 24-year-old quarterback said he had heard from Tannenbaum before the complications delayed the trade, and was asked by Broncos coach John Fox if he had a preference where he would play next when the deal was in limbo. The Rams and Jaguars reportedly were the teams in close competition with the Jets for Tebow.

“Ultimately, they had all the power, but they listened to what I had to say and that was very gracious of them because they didn’t have to do that,” Tebow said. “They could have just done whatever, but they listened to me, talked to me and I said I would love to be a Jet. I love the coaches, and I had the opportunity to meet coach Sparano at the Senior Bowl, an opportunity to meet coach Ryan several times, and that was exciting for me.”

The most recent meetings came in Indianapolis when Ryan and Tebow were there for Super Bowl XLVI in February.

“From our conversations the past few days, I think he’s just excited that I’m here and I think it’s a day-by-day process to see what happens, whenever the Wildcat is working,” Tebow said of Ryan.

Ryan told NFL Network on Sunday from the owners meetings that he could envision Tebow being on the field as often as 20 times a game. But the Jets have maintained that Mark Sanchez will remain the team’s starting quarterback.

Tebow said he has exchanged texts with Sanchez since being acquired to back him up, and that the two have a great relationship. But he did not shy away from saying he hopes to get on the field as often as possible.

“I think for everybody that puts on a uniform, you want to go out there and you want to play,” Tebow said. “That’s why you play the game of football. And I’m excited to be a Jet, to go out there and help this team any way that I can. And however I can expand that role, I am going to go out and do that, and every day in practice I am going to go out there and compete and be a quarterback and figure out any way possible to help this team.”

Tebow said he met Sanchez at the ESPYs and they have made appearances together at Super Bowls. Tebow said he has met with several other Jets teammates.

“From my conversations with [Mark], he was excited about working with me and I am excited about working with him,” Tebow said. “I have a lot of respect for him as a football player, as a person. He’s always handled himself with so much integrity, class as a person. He’s won a lot of games as a quarterback and I think we will have a great working relationship, we talked about that. And just supporting one another in our roles, and I’m excited about that opportunity. And I think we will have a great relationship.”

Tebow took over as starting quarterback for the Broncos last year after the team started 1-4 with Kyle Orton. Tebow led them to an 8-8 record, an AFC West title and a win over the Steelers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

But coming to New York adds a different type of pressure.

“I don’t really feel too much pressure, just enjoying this opportunity and how exciting it is,” he said. “I’ve got a long way to go before OTAs or training camp, so just continue to prepare, continue to try and improve, everything leading up to it, and I’ve always enjoyed pressure.

“Before every practice, before every speech, I always get a little bit of nervous that excites me. That’s something I played better (with), when I have more on the line. That’s something that I’ve tried to thrive on. When that goes away it will be the time I stop playing football.”

For now he will be playing football with the Jets. It surprised some he chose them over his hometown Jaguars, but Tebow said he did not know the new coaching staff in Jacksonville well enough to feel comfortable with them.

“I know (head coach) Mike Mularkey, and the coaches they have there are great coaches,” Tebow said. “I never met anyone, I never had the opportunity to get to know them. I am sure it would have been fun to be home, but I am excited to be a Jet. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. …

“This is a blessing for me and it’s going to be a great opportunity.”