Jets Release QB Tim Tebow; Rex: 'We Wish Him The Best'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was expected, and now it's a done deal: the Jets have released Tim Tebow.
The backup quarterback never lived up to the hype after his acquisition from Denver, completing 6 of only 8 passes for 39 yards in 2012.
"We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow," Jets head coach Rex Ryan said in a statement. "Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped."
New York drafted West Virginia's Geno Smith in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday, adding yet another player to an already crowded quarterback competition. The team signed David Garrard in the offseason, throwing him in the mix with Mark Sanchez and now Smith for the starting job. Greg McElroy and Matt Simms are also on the roster.
FLASHBACK: BOOMER TO JETS: CUT TEBOW!
Tebow showed up for the Jets' voluntary workouts earlier this month despite reports that he wouldn't stick around. He was informed of his release "in-person" at the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J., according to Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday.
Jets Release QB Tim Tebow; Rex: 'We Wish Him The Best'
Tebow's presence was seen by many as a distraction to Sanchez, who regressed for a second straight year. Sanchez was benched late in the 2012 season, but it was McElroy -- not Tebow -- who got the call at quarterback.
Meanwhile, the popular 25-year-old backup struggled to find his place in fired offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's system. A playoff-winning quarterback in Denver, Tebow was limited to snaps on special teams and predictable runs (32 rushes for 102 yards) in Sparano's wildcat-type offense.
Tebow didn't speak to the media after getting cut, but he did quote the Bible on Twitter.
In January, retired Jets special team coach Mike Westhoff called Gang Green's handling of Tebow "an absolute mess."
"You can say (it) however else you want, it was really a mess," Westhoff told WQAM radio in Miami. "I was very, very disappointed."
Tebow, whose tenure in New York included a much-hyped introductory press conference and round-the-clock training camp coverage, was reportedly given the go-ahead to seek a trade during the offseason. "More than one team" asked if he would play tight end, but the quarterback wasn't willing to switch to the position, tweeted Adam Schefter of ESPN.
"Tim is an extremely hard worker, evident by the shape he came back in this offseason," said Ryan. "We wish him the best moving forward."
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