Jets Fans Petition for Tim Tebow as Starting QB; Rex Ryan Still Favors Mark Sanchez
Tim Tebow needs to start for the New York Jets, according to countless fans and commentators who have witnessed the team's 2-3 losing record this season.
While sports writers have been calling for the 25-year-old backup quarterback turned special teams player to take over starting QB Mark Sanchez's position for weeks, things seemed to come to a head with the team's second consecutive loss to the Houston Texans on Monday.
Each week, Sanchez's progress seems to deteriorate with less than 50 percent of his passes completed in his last four games. The QB is currently ranked with the lowest completion percentage in the NFL and his 66.6 quarterback rating makes him 31st in the league, only ahead of Kansas City's Matt Cassel and Cleveland rookie Brandon Weeden.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
In the team's 23-17 loss to the Houston Texans, Sanchez threw 14 of 31 for 230 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Rex Ryan, the Jets' head coach, said Sanchez "was accurate with the football," and was not looking to bench him from the starting QB position just yet.
However, Jets fans and commentators had something else in mind and thought Monday night's performance was enough to give Tebow the starting spot on the team.
"I think they should just start Tim Tebow, it honestly can't get any worse than what happened yesterday," one fan wrote on Twitter. "Plus Tebow has been to the playoffs."
Another fan threatened to boycott the rest of the football season if Ryan did not start Tebow.
"If Tim Tebow doesn't start next week I'm not watching football for the rest of the year," the fan tweeted.
A few Jets fans have even taken to Change.org to create a petition named "Calling all football fans of the NY Jets tired of seeing their team lose!: Bench Mark Sanchez and make Tim Tebow a starting Quarterback!"
While Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum said he and owner Woody Johnson have spoken about ways to improve the team, he acknowledged that Ryan would make the final decision for the team.
"We'll talk to (owner) Woody (Johnson) about what we're going to do ... but Rex is in charge of who plays," Tannenbaum said in a recent NFL.com report.
