(CBS Sports) The Jets have released quarterback Tim Tebow after drafting West Virginia’s Geno Smith.
The Jets are overloaded with quarterbacks now, and waiving Tebow is no surprise.
The former Heisman Trophy winner was not in the team’s plans, and he alienated himself from many teammates and coaches last season.
He barely played, even in wildcat situations, after being acquired from Denver in 2012 — a move many believed originated with owner Woody Johnson and not the football staff.
Last season’s starter, Mark Sanchez, is owed about $9 million within 30 days of his release if cut, which explains why he is on the roster and likely will be for some time.
David Garrard was signed as a free agent, but him staying healthy enough to even get through a training camp is highly in question.
Smith, drafted on Friday in the second round, will compete for the starting job, and Greg McElroy, who eventually replaced Sanchez for a spell last season, remains on the roster as well.
Tebow helped Denver reach the playoffs in 2011, but John Elway and John Fox did not view him as a sustainable proposition under center and signed Peyton Manning as a free agent. Tebow’s tenure in New York was filled with drama but short on highlights, and his “people” have recently engaged in a passive-aggressive war of words through the media with quarterback Mark Sanchez’s “people.”
The Jets were desperate to trade Tebow — they parted with roughly $2 million to Denver just to facilitate the trade in the first place — but that was never a viable option as there is no interest and no one else wanted his contract.
It’s unlikely Tebow will garner much interest as a quarterback, but if he is willing to take on a fullback/H-back/tight end role, then his prospects of staying in the league would increase.
