Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez has Joe Namath in his corner. Jets backup quarterback/personal punt protector Tim Tebow enjoys the support of a guy who has slightly more pull in the locker room.
Cornerback Darrelle Revis sees something special in Tebow. “He’s a born leader, he really is,” Revis said Wednesday, via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “Very few athletes have the gift he has. He tries to lead by example all the time. He tries to be positive, which is awesome, and that [has resulted] in his success on the field. . . .
“Some people have it, some guys don’t. It’s the passion within, wanting to be a leader, wanting to win. You see it all the time, eating lunch, walking down the hallway. You see it.”
Revis didn’t say whether Sanchez is one of the people who have it, or one of those who don’t. But given that Revis has never said anything like that about Sanchez in three-plus years together and that Revis is saying it now after less than two months with Tebow in town is telling.
“He’s a playmaker, he makes plays, he wins games,” Revis said of Tebow. “He’s one of those guys. He’s very positive. He has passion for whatever he does. You can see it on him.”
With Revis talking that way, it’s going to be even harder to keep Tebow off the field. Or to use him only on special teams. Unless Sanchez plays like Namath in 1968, it seems like it will be only a matter of time before plenty of guys in the the locker room openly are questioning why Tebow isn’t leading the team on a full-time basis.