On a Thursday night in November, quarterback Tim Tebow engineered an Elwayesque late-game drive against the supposedly vaunted Jets defense, punctuating the come-from-behind win with a bull rush toward the end zone.
Playing the role of willing matador was cornerback Antonio Cromartie.
It wasn’t a full-blown Shonn Greene red-cape routine. Instead, Cromartie made no effort to get away from Broncos receiver Eric Decker. In fact, it looked like Cromartie held onto Decker in order to ensure Cromartie would be able to avoid throwing his body in front of the runaway “T” train.
And so it’s fitting, we suppose, that if Cromartie wanted no part of Tebow then, Cromartie also wants no part of Tebow now.
The Jets reportedly are interested in Tebow. Cromartie isn’t.
“We don’t need Tebow,” Cromartie wrote on Twitter. “We sell out every home game let him go to Jacksonville Tampa or Miami. Our wildcat offense can b ran by J. Kerley or Joe McKnight we straight.”
While G.M. Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan surely appreciate Cromartie’s personnel advice, it’s not Cromartie’s call. But if other players feel the same way, adding Tebow to an already dysfunctional locker room will serve only to make things even more fun in 2012.
Or, for Jets plans, completely depressing.