When asked about the current status of the Jets’ quarterback pecking order and how the Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow synergy was going to work out, both quarterbacks said the right things on Thursday following workouts. There was no “gotcha” moment from either one.
But it was the 50-odd other players in the Jets locker room whose thoughts on the team’s new quarterback dynamic provided more intrigue.
“They’re two totally different leaders. You look at Mark, he’s our
leader, he’s proven. I can speak for myself only, but that’s how I view
him; I view him as our starter,” defensive end Mike DeVito told Metro New York.
“Then
Tim, there’s so many things he can do and he’s great to come in here
for us. It’s exciting what he brings to the table. It adds another
weapon in our arsenal.”
“We have two quarterbacks. Mark is the starter and Tebow is going to be the backup,” running back Shonn Greene told Metro New York. “That’s all there is to it.”
The line from Jets management and head coach Rex Ryan since the trade for Tebow in March was that their new quarterback was coming in as a backup to Sanchez. Everything from Tebow running their Wildcat to playing special teams has been hinted at, but nothing seems firm yet. On Thursday, Tebow said he isn’t sure what the offense will look like as it is still being installed.
Running back Joe McKnight, a teammate of Sanchez’s at USC, didn’t seem to want to wade much into a topic that was the talk of the media in the Jets locker room. As photographers and camera crews stood watch around the locker spaces of both quarterbacks, McKnight remained somewhat ambivalent about it all.
McKnight even included second-year quarterback Greg McElroy in the mix, a player who was injured for the entirety of last year.
“Everybody is the same: Tebow, Greg, Mark — they’re all pretty cool guys. They all work well together,” McKnight said. “Whatever or whoever we go with, that’s who we’re going to start the season with and go with.”
But for the vast majority of the Jets players, the talk about Sanchez and Tebow sharing snaps was laughable. The general consensus of those asked was summed up by guard Matt Slauson, who left little wiggle room in his response to how the quarterback depth chart currently stands.
“Mark is our guy. Mark is going to be our quarterback. We’re really excited to have him there,” Slauson said. “Tim is Tim. He’s a great guy. We all know what he brings, but we’re going with Mark.”
Follow Jets beat writer Kristian Dyer on Twitter @KristianRDyer for more offseason news.
