Jets owner Woody Johnson got what he wanted when the Jets traded draft picks to Denver for Tim Tebow last spring. He got attention, he got the back pages and he probably sold a few more overpriced PSLs for MetLife Stadium.
The Giants were the talk of the town after winning their second Super Bowl in five years. But the Jets couldn’t be ignored now that Tebow was wearing green. Tebowmania made the Jets relevant again.
GM Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan fed the hype by promising Tebow was acquired for football reasons. He would be more than just a backup quarterback. He would be a dynamic addition to the offense, operating out of the Wildcat offense and on special teams, becoming the kind of weapon that would make defensive coaches lose sleep.
It wasn’t long before Jets training camp was on ESPN and when Tebow took his shirt off it became network news. Johnson had to be grinning from ear to ear that day. This is what he wanted when he brought Tebow here: attention, headlines, and national exposure. If only he took time to foresee the damage it could do.
Word is the Jets will either trade or release Tebow before the start of free agency. It’s probably a relief to Tebow and most certainly to a coaching staff that mismanaged his presence here. The damage is already done.
In some respects, Woody Johnson’s wallet succeeded with Tebowmania, but the team lost, spiraling into a worse-case scenario that should have been envisioned when the Jets brought Tebow here. Mark Sanchez, who wasn’t secure enough or mentally strong enough to handle Tebow’s presence, has gone from franchise quarterback to clip-board holder. Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano appears on his way out after never developing a suitable role for Tebow; and the Jets have been eliminated from the playoffs with two meaningless regular-season games to play.
Make no mistake; none of this is Tebow’s fault. Not one bit. He has been a good teammate and a good soldier, masking the obvious frustration he must feel for never really getting shot at extended play. He has carried the ball 32 times for 102 yards and no touchdowns, while completing six of eight passes for 39 yards. Tebow said Wednesday, “All you want is a chance.” The Jets never really gave him one.
A defiant Sparano yesterday offered a bizarre explanation of Tebow’s usage this season, equating the Wildcat to “just another running play” and a chance to chat with Sanchez on the sidelines. “It’s stealing timeouts with the quarterback,” he said.
The financial return Johnson reaped for bringing Tebow here can’t be precisely measured. The jersey sales, the PSLs sold, the media attention may be viewed as assets on some ledger sheet. But on the field it was a failed experiment.
The coaching staff never figured out a way to maximize Tebow’s skills. His insertion into games often broke whatever rhythm Sanchez had established. There was no more glaring example of that than on Monday night in Nashville. Tebow hadn’t been given a series on offense all season until he came in following two productive opening drives by Sanchez. After an 11-yard run by Joe McKnight, Tebow ran for 12 yards and three plays later the drive stalled. Sanchez re-entered and promptly threw his first of four interceptions.
Sparano dodged the question of whether Tebow was given a fair shake. “That’s not for me to decide,” he said, adding, “Tim played his role and has done his role as well as to be expected. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
Yet, the collateral damage is Sanchez is no longer viewed as a viable starting quarterback, the Jets are missing the playoffs and Tebow will be shown the door at season’s end. Maybe all the extra PSLs and other profits were worth it to Johnson. But if he won, his team lost.
george.willis@nypost.com