Tim Tebow released by Jets

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The New York Jets will cut Tim Tebow after drafting Geno Smith to battle Mark Sanchez for the team's starting quarterback spot.

By Rodger Sherman Apr 29, 2013, 8:23am EDT

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The Tim Tebow experiment in New York is over. The Jets have released the backup quarterback after just one season with the team. The news was first reported by Bryan Costello of the New York Post:

Source: The jets have released Tim Tebow #NYJ
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) April 29, 2013

The Jets made it official a short time after the initial report.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Tebow after the Jets drafted Geno Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Already a national sensation from his college days, Tebow's appeal grew thanks to a stretch with the Denver Broncos where he led his team to a playoff berth and an overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But his play wasn't particularly great, as he only completed 46.5 percent of his passes. Critics said he only won games due to the Broncos' superior defense. Denver's front office apparently agreed. They signed Peyton Manning in the spring of 2012, making Tebow superfluous.

The Jets made their move after that. New York acquired Tebow and a seventh-round pick for a fourth and sixth rounder in the 2012 NFL Draft, despite having Mark Sanchez locked up as the franchise quarterback. It was never fully clear how the Jets intended to use Tebow. He was listed as the backup, and he occasionally entered the game as a change-of-pace quarterback with an emphasis on running headfirst towards the line of scrimmage. He also served as the upback on punts, sometimes running on trick plays. When the Jets eventually benched Sanchez after a dismal season, it was third-stringer Greg McElroy, not Tebow, who got the call.

Tebow attempted only eight passes for the Jets, completing six, and averaging 3.2 yards on 32 carries, meaning his Jets' career appears to have been a few draft picks and an enormous media frenzy over nothing. We'll see where he ends up -- his size, speed, and kinda his throwing ability still make him a somewhat palatable option for a team interested in installing a changeup offense. The unnecessary attention and ridicule that surrounded the Jets after they added Tebow might be a turnoff.