APJets coach Rex Ryan reacted strongly to the report that an unnamed teammate referred to Tim Tebow as “terrible.”
Playing to a packed house in the Jets media room, Ryan actually toyed with reporters for a bit, begging one of them to ask the question they were all there to ask.
When the ice was broken, Ryan said he didn’t appreciate the remarks.
“If you’re going to make a negative comment, that’s fine,” Ryan said, via the New York Daily News. “We never say that it always has to be a bed of roses. But again, put your name to it. I think people will respect you a lot more.”
Ryan said he spoke to the team about it first thing.
“Did I address it? I absolutely addressed it,” Ryan said. “Because I think it’s a cowardly thing. If you’re not going to put your name to it, I think that’s about as cowardly of a thing as there is. I even mentioned that. I said, ‘Look, if, . . .’ Well, I don’t want to get into specifics of what I said. But I did address it with our football team. I absolutely did.
“If you’re searching for things to try to drive a wedge through the team and all that, . . . my thing is that I believe in this team. I believe this team is like this and will continue to be like this and maybe even come tighter. I’m confident that that will be a case.”
Ryan also defended Tebow’s handling of an unusual situation, going to far as to say their punt game has never been better, thanks to the way opponents have to honor the possibility of a Tebow fake.
“Every single day when he hits the field, he works about as hard as anybody I’ve seen. He stays longer than probably every player we have, working on those skills,” Ryan said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”
“Tim Tebow came here to be the backup quarterback. We never brought him in here, to be the starting quarterback. We already had a starting quarterback in Mark Sanchez. I thought I was clear on that from the day we brought Tim in here. But what we were also clear on is that he’s a football player and we’re going to use him in different roles.”
In the middle of a 3-6 season, it’s the last thing the Jets need, to have to address such reports. But they also should have known they’d eventually come, when they made the deal to acquire America’s favorite backup.
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I agree with Rex. That’s some coward stuff to hide behind a press release and not put your name on your statement.
I bet Cromartie was one of the unnamed players, seeing as how he gave up the GW score to Tebow last season.
I agree with Rex.
Teammates ripping teammates.
Coaches ripping players.
GOD I love the 2012 Jets!!
Man, I hope the comments were made by Greg McElroy. He would be a justifiable person to make such comments as a better QB he would know just how terrible Tebow is.
What a circus. Seriously. I can’t think of a locker room in the NFL that is so catty and gossips to the media. It appears their fearless leader has rubbed off on them.
If Rex keeps saying things like this… that make sense… I might just become a fan. He’s still not a great head coach and Sanchez still stinks worse than Romo, but at least Ryan is a stand-up guy.
Good for Rex. That’s the first thing I’ve heard this year from him that makes me think the Jets are going in a positive direction. You run the locker room or it runs you. Especially with all the loudmouth children on that team.
Its pretty obvious who the unnamed source is…. Mark Sanchez.
Easy target, which is sad because media and fans love it. he’s the man tho , a class act in every way.
For once, I agree with Slim.
“I believe this team is like this and will continue to be like this…”
Yes Rex, we all agree. Although we may have different opinions on what exactly “this” is.
Rick Reilly tweets:
My sources tell me that there may be a QB controversy in NY. Stay tuned…
Nothing against Tebow, but all this attention for a glorified non-factor is just ridiculous. Seriously, in one of those recent (and stupid) player polls he was voted overrated? He BARELY plays. Give the guy a break, I’m sure even at this point he’s tired of the attention.
Rex Ryan back in August…” This is the best team I have ever had”. Talk can only get you so far. This team is a joke.
Lot of words from Rex, but I notice he never actually denied that Tebow was a terrible QB.
Agreed
It takes a real man to publicly express his opinion.. Why is this not happening in this situation? I think Tebow would be able to handle it..
The Jets are finished. This is just the beginning, things will get a lot more ugly soon enough.
Players on a 3-6 team are criticizing a player who isn’t even playing?!?
When the Coach leads the way in opening his mouth when he shouldn’t, we should not be surprised when the Players do the same.
Why don’t they just play him and find out? It’s not like Sanchez is really any better. If not, trade Tebow to Jacksonville and let him move on with his “career”.
Nice to see Rex Ryan is attempting to hold that locker room accountable, as there is absolutely no excuse for those comments in a team sport. Why is everybody picking on Tebow all the time? When does he get to play? Sporano, while a great guy, is a horrible OC. He was terrible in Miami and this is no surprise. Everyone shut up and let the kid play, you have nothing to lose. He’s done this before. Then if he sucks, then talk about it, or better yet DO something about it!
This team is a complete joke. They are the laughing stock of the NFL. Circus is an understatement. They need to clean house. Fire the GM, Coach, and cut Holmes, Tebow, and Scott immediately. Time to blow it up!
You can’t blame the backup QB for the team being 3-6.
Not a fan of Tebow at all, but I was definitely his biggest fan on January 8, 2012!! Loved the OT pass!!
Tebow was terrible enough to defeat the Jets last year. Whoever is saying this obviously has an axe to grind and is pretty stupid.
Cromartie!
Also cowardly not to play him… Rex
Oh, man. I’m still laughing at the part where Rex said the punt game has never been better because of Tebow.
Why is anyone surprised about this? Someone should have figured out that these things were bound to happen when they acquired the controversial non QB.
lol. ok Jets players…
Blaine Gabbert has a higher passer rating than Sanchez.
And everyone thought Saints fans had it bad this season.
The patriots would love tim tebow
From Day One when Rex called on fans to show up during the New England game, I knew we had something special on our hands.
I never knew it would be this entertaining.
What do you expect from a team full of cowards?
Someone said, “Nothing against Tebow, but all this attention for a glorified non-factor is just ridiculous.”
The problem is he is a factor. Watching the Hawk game the other day you couldn’t help but notice that Tebow and Sanchez both were confused as to who was supposed to be in and what formation they were supposed to be in.
I can’t imagine a worse situation for a QB let alone the O line. Obviously I was glad the Hawks beat them but Ryan’s to blame for all of this. Either start him or sit him like all other backup QBs.
The implosion begins. I said in August Sparano
would be Interim-coaching this team by mid-Dec. I’m standing by it.
Lolercoaster
Yeah Rex, as long as your punt game is better who cares what the win-loss record is or how well your main QB is playing, right ?
What was that about having a nice harmonious locker room this year ?
Oh wait, guess you continue to have almost no control over the locker room or the big mouth jerks in it. Same as last year.
I’d almost feel sorry for their fans if it was any team but the Jets.
Had to been Cromartie
Timmy’s got to learn to take it the way he dishes it out. No one uses the media to undermine his teammates as much or as well as he does.
Also, haven’t the Jets had a bunch of punts blocked this year and doesn’t that make him terrible at that also?
Just because the quote was attributed to an unnamed player doesn’t mean it was from a player at all. Maybe the media is trying to light a fire by causing this “controversy”.
I hope they quit blacklisting Tebow for being an outspoken Christian one of these weeks.
No players ripped Tebow. Teammates love him. Whereas the liberal press hates him. So the liberal press makes up a story claiming unnamed sources and wars Tebow. That is how the left wing liberal media operate
The jets may be a circus, but at least their head coach has the teams back. Never liked Rex… But this was great to hear him standing up against bullying. That’s all it is. Someone is mad that tebows name is in the paper and not theirs. Id bet money when Rex finds out who it is he is off the team.
Stay classy Jets…Tebow don’t like ugly
Commenter’s who are attacking Tim Tebow are jerks. He is not why the Jets are 3-6. In fact, he barely plays and from what I can see, pretty much keeps his mouth shut. When he does speak, he keep’s it positive. The Sanchize is the starter; attack him.
Tebow plays fer the J E T S! Terrible is a job requirement there.
Sanchez is bad but so are his receivers. The Jets averaged 4.0 yards per pass attempt in Seattle. Marshawn Lynch averaged 4.8 yards per carry for the Hawks.
geniusfan says:Nov 14, 2012 2:48 PM
The Jets are finished. This is just the beginning, things will get a lot more ugly soon enough.
IT’S BEEN UGLY THE LAST 44 YEARS.
Happy 44th anniversary jet fans.
Jets got no team leaders and no discipline.
Championships are not made of that.
lol at people congratulating Rex. Yes he’s right, but he’s also responsible. You don’t see this sort of thing happening on other teams, yet the Jets have had several different anonymous players run their mouth to the media.
Anyone else think that maybe, just MAYBE, it has something to do with Rex Ryan creating an undisciplined atmosphere and constantly running HIS mouth? Players have no fear of talking because the coach does it all the time and no one ever receives discipline on that team.
Ringling Brothers never had a circus with this many clowns.
Using Rex Ryans’ remark for the unnamed source you then have to assume that all Jets players are cowards. Afraid to play, afraid to be quoted, just a bad team. Everyone outside of New York state knew the Jets were a bad team, no one knew just how bad until now.
Funniest thing is that they have no idea how good or bad he is as a Jet because HE RARELY EVER PLAYS!!!
And here all along I thought my Raiders were going to run down “the joke team of the year award” and man I thought we had it locked.
But, alas, a new contender emerges…….
Rex is to blame for this as he sets the tone for an organization where being a loudmouth is embraced. Also, if Rex really didn’t want Tebow, he should have tried to stop that trade.
Why not start Tebow. He can’t possibly be any worse than Dirty Sanchez. Tebow is a winner!! Give the kid a chance.
They talk like Sanchez is good or something. Dude can’t even complete 50% of his passes.
Cowardly? Maybe.
Does Tebow still suck? Yes.
Im a Jets fan and I have no sympathy for Rex Ryan here. You encouraged a locker room that feels free to speak their mind about anything. You have a team that basically has questionable characters all over the roster. What do you expect? Would this garbage be happening in New England? Or even in Miami right now? No it would not. There is a serious lack of leadership on this team and it starts with that head coach.