Tim Tebow ‘Absolutely’ Staying With Jets Through 2014, But Woody Johnson Less Solid on Feelings About Mark Sanchez

by abournenesn

Oct 10, 2012

Tim Tebow 'Absolutely' Staying With Jets Through 2014, But Woody Johnson Less Solid on Feelings About Mark SanchezThe Jets spend each week learning new plays and working hard in practice. They also spend each week answering an inordinate amount of questions about starting quarterback Mark Sanchez and backup Tim Tebow.

Sanchez, who continues to put up historically poor numbers, and Tebow, who enjoys massive popularity despite shortcomings in key parts of his game, have been the finest blend of drama for a New York team that looks more primed for chatter than consistent winning.

Sanchez and Tebow have had to continually defend themselves and their current starting order, and coach Rex Ryan has also offered weekly public endorsements for Sanchez.

Now owner Woody Johnson is jumping in.

Johnson dispelled rumors of trading Tebow while supporting Sanchez on an appearance on CNBC on Wednesday, but he had an interesting choice of words for how he addressed the situations of his two very different signal callers.

"Are we going to keep Tebow? Absolutely," Johnson said, according to the New York Post. "He'll be with us for three years [the length of his contract]. … I think he's going to be a real valuable asset in terms of helping us win games."

Johnson seemed to confirm that the Jets won't be shopping Tebow on the trade block anytime soon.

When it was time to talk Sanchez, however, Johnson was supportive in a different way. He didn't exactly make his starting quarterback look like a hero.

"It's not bolstering his confidence," Johnson said of the Jets' public support for Sanchez. "We think that he's good. … He really is that good.

"I wouldn't look at the numbers too seriously."

The numbers, of course, say that Sanchez has completed just 48.4 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and six interceptions, with the Jets going 2-3 this year. (And that doesn't even include Sanchez's 66.6 passer rating and what that could mean.)

"A quarterback's job ultimately is to win games," Johnson said. "Sanchez has proven that he can do that. He pulled out a game a few weeks ago in the last couple minutes when we played Miami."

Ah, yes. A couple weeks ago. Against Miami.

Johnson saved perhaps his biggest backhanded indictment when asked if the Jets will ever bench the fourth-year Sanchez.

"Never is a long time period," he said. "But I see the same things in Mark Sanchez [as] I first met him. He's still a young quarterback."

And that is what every Jets fan wants to hear: Tebow is not going anywhere, Sanchez has not improved since he first started being horrible for New York, and, for all eternity, the Jets will start Sanchez before Tebow and then defend them both on Monday.

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