“Our long National Football League nightmare is over,” Deadspin deadpanned. Yes, Tim Tebow’s short but tumultuous stint with the New York Jets officially came to an end Monday. The Jets waived Tebow some 13 months after trading with the Denver Broncos to acquire the polarizing player who had sparked a national craze and a media frenzy (yes, we’re talking about you, ESPN) while leading the Broncos to a string of comeback wins.
“I think you can never have too much Tebow,” Jets owner Woody Johnson told CNBC last summer.
“You can’t talk enough Tebow,” ESPN analyst Doug Gottleib said he was told by a producer.
Not enough quickly became too much.
“We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said in a statement announcing the roster move. “Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped. Tim is an extremely hard worker, evident by the shape he came back in this offseason. We wish him the best moving forward.” With teams coming off the NFL Draft, initial reports suggest that Tebow may have a hard time catching on with another team, at least as a quarterback. Whether or not he does, here’s a look at how the Tebow phenomenon fizzled in New York:
200
Members of the media who attended the Jets news conference 13 months ago to introduce the newly acquired Tebow, according to The New York Times.
$1.5 million
Salary the Jets paid Tebow. The team will save $1.055 million by releasing him now.
$2.58 million
Tebow’s official salary for 2013, but that includes $1.055 million the Jets will save by releasing the quarterback
$1.531 million
The remaining portion of Tebow’s official salary – owed not to Tebow but to the Broncos. As part of the Tebow trade, the Jets agreed to split a prorated portion of the advance salary the Broncos paid the Florida quarterback after signing him in 2010.
12
Games Tebow played in for the Jets.
77
Offensive snaps Tebow was on the field for in 2012, according to ESPN.
8
Passes Tebow attempted in the 2012 season for the Jets. He completed 6 of them for a total of 39 yards.
32
Rushing attempts by Tebow for the Jets. He gained 102 yards on those runs, for an average of 3.2 yards per carry.
0
Touchdowns scored by Tebow last season for the Jets
6
Quarterbacks on the Jets roster before Tebow was released. The Jets drafted former West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith in the second round of the NFL Draft last week.
