It remains to be seen exactly what role Tim Tebow will end up having on the Jets this year, but Mark Sanchez thinks he has a good idea: Sanchez will start, Tebow will back him up, and as long as Sanchez is healthy, when Tebow gets on the field it will be doing “other stuff.”
Asked by reporters in the Jets’ locker room today whether there’s a quarterback competition, Sanchez said Tebow will prepare like the starter but will be the backup.
“I hope every backup quarterback wants the job of a starter,” Sanchez said. “That’s the way you have to prepare. I’ve been in those shoes in college, anticipating the game setting like I’m the starter, and then getting to the game and not playing. Fortunately for Tim, he has the ability to do other things and that’s why he’s on board. He’s a backup quarterback first, and then he’ll do plenty of other stuff.”
That “other stuff” will involve some snaps in the wildcat formation, possibly some playing time at other positions in the offense, and some work on special teams. But Tebow said he’s preparing as a quarterback in what he called “a very fun quarterback room.”
“We’re all just learning the same offense right now,” Tebow said. “I’m just doing whatever they want me to do. I’m just going out there and working hard right now.”