ROBBY TEBOW WAS all set to root for his brother, the newest member of the New York Jets. Now, he’s not so sure where Tim Tebow will end up.
And, he’s not alone.
Playing at a pro-am golf tournament at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill in Orlando, Robby Tebow said last night that he and the Denver Broncos quarterback thought a trade to the Jets was a done deal.
“Like he was signed, sealed and delivered,” he said. “Apparently, they didn’t read the fine print.”
The Jets announced early Wednesday that they had agreed in principle to acquire Tebow for draft pick as a complement to starter Mark Sanchez. Denver general manager Brian Xanders said the Broncos would receive fourth- and sixth-round draft picks, while New York would get a seventh-rounder — all in 2012.
But then Robby Tebow’s phone started buzzing. Tebow Time on Broadway? Well, not quite yet.
“They’re working on it,” Robby Tebow said. “I think the Jags are back in play. We’re almost back to square one.”
Jaguars spokesman Dan Edwards declined comment. ”We want to go where somebody wants him — that’s where he wants to be,” Robby Tebow said. “We’ll figure it out. They’re working on the contract; all those guys doing what they’re paid to do.”
ESPN first reported that provisions in the quarterback’s contract are causing complications in the completion of the trade.
The hang-up came hours after the Jets declared they were bringing the polarising quarterback to New York. It’s just another bizarre moment for the Jets, a team that has had its share of them over the years, conjuring memories of Bill Belichick’s hiring as coach and his resignation one day later.
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, who led the Jets to their only Super Bowl title in 1969, was among those unhappy with the possible deal.
“I’m just sorry that I can’t agree with this situation. I think it’s just a publicity stunt. I can’t go with it. I think it’s wrong,” Namath told 1050 ESPN Radio. “I don’t think they know what they’re doing over there.”
The Jets will have lots of explaining to do — no matter whether the deal goes through or falls apart.
As part of Tebow’s $11.25 million, five-year contract he signed as a rookie in 2010, he had a $6.277 m advance due 29 days after the start of the 2011 league year. That money was paid to him in August after the NFL lockout ended. The trade hit the hang-up when the Jets apparently balked at repaying the Broncos more than $5m for the 2012-14 seasons from that advance.
If the sides work things out, “Tebowmania” likely would take over New York, just a few weeks after “Linsanity” swept the New York area and the rest of the NBA with the Knicks’ sensational Jeremy Lin.
