Tim Tebow gets screwed, Part Deux.
A year ago, even when he was helping the Broncos on an improbable rally into the postseason and winning a playoff game, Tebow was not appreciated by Denver management, led by John Elway, who wanted no part of him leading the franchise into the future.
If that wasn’t bad enough, Tebow’s move to the Jets in a trade last spring has led to an even more painful and frustrating end game: He’s been ignored.
Being ignored is a sentence of indignity far worse than being criticized.
Tebow’s curious NFL career reached its nadir yesterday when Jets head coach Rex Ryan announced he was benching starter Mark Sanchez in favor of third-stringer Greg McElroy for Sunday’s home game against the Chargers.
The benching of Sanchez was a move Ryan had to make based on the fact Sanchez’s confidence is shot.
But why not start Tebow, who was brought here to be Sanchez’s backup?
Don’t ask Rex Ryan, because he won’t tell, even though the real reason is because the Jets have conceded to themselves this Tebow experiment is over — an embarrassing failure that has indelibly stained this season.
Ryan, who champions himself as the most transparent head coach in the league with “nothing to hide,’’ stammered and rambled through a 20-minute conference call yesterday in hushed tones delivering cryptic non-answers.
Ryan repeatedly refused to answer questions about why Tebow was being passed over for McElroy, saying only he thought it was “best for the team for this game’’ and that it was “my decision.’’
Pressed on the issues, Ryan cowered as if he were hiding behind a desk.
This was a new low for Ryan, who sounded meek and pathetic over the phone yesterday, skittish to respond to any fair questions asked of him with a straight answer.
Tebow has not been effective this season, but he also has been grossly misused and has not once been given a fair chance to succeed — not unless you count that first full series he got behind center Monday night in Nashville, 14 games into the season.
He has played in only eight percent of the offensive snaps, thrown just eight passes and run the ball 32 times. The last touchdown he had a hand in was the game-winning scoring pass he threw to Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas to upset the Steelers in last season’s AFC divisional playoff game.
After the false-advertising bill of goods the Jets sold Tebow before the trade, that he would have an opportunity if Sanchez struggled and be a factor in the Wildcat offense, Ryan owed Tebow a start once Sanchez got benched.
Not that it is their responsibility to nurture their athletes, but the Jets have gone a long way toward damaging Tebow’s career. After what they’ve done with him this year — better yet not done — what team is going to be in a hurry to bring Tebow aboard in 2013?
If his hometown Jaguars, who can’t fill their stadium if they were handing out $100 bills out to fans upon gate entry, had little interest in him when the Jets traded for him last March, who then?
The Jets invested $3.6 million in Tebow — $1.6 million in salary and bonuses this season along with the $2 million they’re paying the Broncos as part of the trade agreement that also included a fourth-round draft pick. Though he is under contract through the 2014 season, Tebow will obviously ask for a trade or his release after this season.
But despite these words from Jets owner Woody Johnson in an October interview on CNBC — “Are we going to keep Tebow? Absolutely. He’ll be with us for three years. I think he’s going to be a real valuable asset in terms of helping us win games.” — Tebow will not be a Jet in 2013.
What a difference nine months makes to shatter an illusion.
Last March, while playing in the Arnold Palmer Invitational pro-am at Bay Hill in Orlando, Robby Tebow got a phone call from his younger brother with the big news.
“It’s done,’’ Tim Tebow told him in elated tones. “I’m a Jet.’’
Robby, who had just hit his first tee shot of the round when he got that call, ran around and high-fived his playing partners and did everything but sprint down the fairway clicking the heels of his golf spikes.
Now Tim Tebow has nothing to celebrate, screwed for the second time in two years.