Tebow vs. Sanchez Debate Heating Up

Added on Mar 23, 2012 by Scott in

NFL

Well, that didn’t take long. Tebowmania has swept through the Big Apple like a runaway tornado since the trade heard ’round the world was completed late Wednesday night. General manager Mike Tannenbaum has repeatedly insisted that Mark Sanchez is still the Jets starter, but he might want to reiterate that sentiment to Tebow, because the new kid in town doesn’t seem interested in being a backup.

According to the NY Daily News, they believe Tebow is there to usurp Sanchez whether the Jets like it or not.

Tebow is too competitive to settle for serving as Sanchez’s caddie. He led the Broncos to the playoffs last season and won a playoff game while Sanchez regressed. No matter how the Jets spin it, this is a vote of no confidence in Sanchez, who many now believe is vulnerable to losing his starting job.

Of course Tebow is saying all the right things publicly.

“They want me to come in and compete and get better as a quarterback and help the team any way possible,” Tebow said. “Whatever that role is, I will do my best. Every time I step on the field, I give my heart and soul.”

No matter what he says, the boat in New York isn’t just rocking, it’s close to capsizing. Unless Sanchez can use the presence of Tebow as motivation to raise his play to another level, the first sign of struggle could destroy what’s left of his wounded ego.

This is the number one market in sports. Tebow is the most publicized figure in all of football. Does anyone really think the guy won’t be on the field late in the fourth quarter leading the Jets offense in a tight game? It might not be Week 1, but eventually it’s going to happen.

The pressure on head coach Rex Ryan to take the Jets to a Super Bowl is immense. He can ill afford Sanchez coming up small in key spots. Regardless how the front office spins it, Tebow was brought aboard to compete for the starting job and send a clear message to Sanchez that a three-year extension doesn’t guarantee him unlimited security.

Bottom line: the Jets are sitting on a powder keg. A powder keg that could cause irreparable damage when it explodes.