It Makes Sense That Tim Tebow Wants To Leave New York, Sportswriters Say

News that Tim Tebow wants to leave New York came out soon after the team bypassed him in naming third-stringer Greg McElroy the starter for this Sunday’s game, and sportswriters say its for good reason.

Tebow came to New York in the offseason in one of the most covered and hyped acquisitions in football, but the Jets seemed to have no real plans for him. Tebow played sparingly as the quarterback in the Wildcat formation and also saw the field a bit as a receiver and the punt protector. As the season dragged on and quarterback Mark Sanchez struggled for the Jets, many thought it would be Tebow’s chance to take the field.

But after the Jets decided to give McElroy a look rather than Tebow, the former Broncos quarterback made it known he wants to leave New York.

As NESN sportswriter Jen Slothower notes, it doesn’t reflect badly on Tebow himself that he wants to leave New York:

“At this point, asking to go is what Tebow should do, and it shouldn’t be perceived as any kind of insubordination or disgruntledness. The great debate surrounding Tebow when he came into the NFL was whether he could succeed as a quarterback, and that was his role when he started building his passer resume in Denver. What the Jets have done, however, is turn Tebow into a mix of a running back, blocker and all-around headline-grabber. All of those roles may fit Tebow, but that’s not what he signed up to do, and that’s not what he — or his fans — are going to be content with him doing.”

Tebow and the Jets were never a good fit, notes ESPN blogger James Walker. He says Tebow’s acquisition smacked of a PR move from the very beginning:

“I remember attending training camp in August when Tebow got the loudest cheers. It immediately added unnecessary pressure to Sanchez and the team. The last thing the Jets needed was another circus, but that’s exactly what they got with adding Tebow. It was a train wreck waiting to happen.”a

Now that Tebow has made it clear he wants to leave New York, the next move is up to the Jets. Both he and benched starter Mark Sanchez are still under contract for next season.