Thursday must've been a disappointing day for ESPN and the rest of the national media. Probably a portion of the New York media, as well.
At Jets OTAs, starting quarterback Mark Sanchez looked like the starter, and media-favorite Tim Tebow, who was brought in to back up Sanchez and do something other things, looked like a backup who did some other things.
Multiple media outlets and beat writers who were on the scene reported Tebow was shaky at quarterback, getting intercepted in 7-on-7 drills by linebacker Bart Scott only to be picked off again immediately after by safety Yeremiah Bell.
Meanwhile, Sanchez reportedly didn't put the ball in the defense's hands during his time calling signals, and he connected with rookie receiver Stephen Hill on a 75-yard touchdown.
With Tebow being the lightning rod that he his, the Jets' quarterback situation again was a topic of discussion on every ESPN program throughout the morning and early afternoon.
“We’ve been to the playoffs around here,” Sanchez said after practice, according to the New York Daily News. “We know what it’s like to have different media outlets. When you get a guy as popular as Tim it’s just natural. It’s good exposure for our team.”
Tebow reportedly took some reps on special teams. where ESPN New York's Rich Cimini said he looked like a "natural born personal protector."
Tebow will likely spend more time running new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's Wildcat/option packages as offseason activities/minicamps/training camps commence, calling signals in situations in which he's proven to shine.
One thing to keep in mind: It's early. But it's not too early to see who the clear cut starting quarterback is the Jets, regardless of the spin surrounding anything regarding Tebow.
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