Coach Rex Ryan said in a statement put out by the team in announcing the move that had been expected for months: "Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped."
The Heisman Trophy winner attempted just eight passes after his ballyhooed arrival in a surprising trade from the Denver Broncos in March 2012. He threw for 39 yards and rushed 32 times for 102 yards -- and stunningly had no touchdowns as a member of the Jets.
Meanwhile, starter Mark Sanchez struggled amid constant questions about Tebow's playing time, and still Tebow remained mostly on the sideline. The Jets drafted quarterback Geno Smith in the second round of the NFL draft Friday, giving New York six quarterbacks on its roster -- and creating uncertainty about Sanchez's future, as well.
Tebow arrived at the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J., on Monday morning and was told he had been cut.
Tebow led the Broncos to the playoffs in 2011, but became expendable when Denver acquired Peyton Manning. The popular backup quarterback was acquired by the Jets for a fourth-round draft pick and $1.5 million in salary. He was introduced at the Jets' facility to plenty of fanfare at a lavish news conference, with Tebow repeatedly saying he was "excited" to be in New York. It turned out to be one of the few high points in Tebow's tenure with the Jets.
Along with his shirtless jog from the practice field in the rain during training camp, of course.
Owner Woody Johnson jokingly said last season that "you can never have enough Tebow." Well, the Jets apparently had their fill after just one year.
From the day the Jets made the move to bring Tebow in to compete with Sanchez, many fans and media predicted it was only a matter of time before the former Florida star stepped in. There were billboards outside the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey welcoming Tebow, and sandwiches named after him at Manhattan delis.
Meanwhile, the Jets insisted having both Tebow and Sanchez would not be a distraction. The plan was that the team would benefit from having both players' different skill sets: Sanchez as the traditional quarterback, and Tebow running the wildcat-style offense.
While everyone from Johnson to Ryan to former general manager Mike Tannenbaum to former offensive coordinator Tony Sparano said they were all "on board" with Tebow, it became evident early that he had no clear role.
And Tebow simply didn't impress enough in practice to earn more playing time.
Ryan refused to start Tebow in place of a struggling Sanchez late in the season, choosing instead to go with third-stringer Greg McElroy ahead of him for one game -- despite Tebow's multitude of fans taking to Twitter and begging the team to give their favorite player a chance. The since-fired Sparano never was able to figure out a way to consistently use Tebow, who spent most of his time on the sideline during games.
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