Breaking Down Logistics of Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow Co-Existing with Jets

The New York Jets acquired Tim Tebow on Wednesday, sending two draft picks in exchange for the 24-year-old quarterback. While he is likely being brought in as a situational quarterback or a backup to starter Mark Sanchez, I'm not sure this is a good fit.

To be clear, the trade could still be nullified thanks to a the language in Tebow's contract, but for the purposes of this article, let's assume it goes through smoothly.

Jets fans are already shaky on Sanchez's ability to be a franchise quarterback. Despite the team's commitment to him through a three-year, $40.5 million contract extension earlier this year, bringing Tebow on board is sure to create an instant quarterback controversy. 

The Jets only had to send a fourth and sixth-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft to the Denver Broncos, and they received Tebow and a seventh-rounder in return. New York gave up very little to get the former first-rounder, but they may have acquired a whole heap of trouble along with him.

Sanchez has been shaky for all three years of his professional career. His career numbers are not encouraging. To this point, the USC product has completed just 55.3 percent of his passes for 9,209 yards, 55 touchdowns and 51 interceptions. His passer rating is a dismal 73.2.

In 2011 Sanchez struggled again, completing just 56.7 percent of his passes for 3,474 yards, 26 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. His career-best passer rating of 78.2 ranked 23rd out of the 34 quarterbacks who qualified league-wide.

Despite his massive struggles under center in 2011, Tebow garnered a ton of fan support in Denver because the team won when he played. It's not hard to envision New York's fanbase calling for a change and creating a quarterback controversy not unlike what we saw when Kyle Orton struggled for the Broncos early in 2011. 

While Tebow will give Sanchez some much-needed competition, his popularity could actually backfire on the Jets. They just locked Sanchez in to a huge extension and if the team's fans demand Tebow, it could become an untenable situation.

I'm not a fan of this move, even if the former Heisman Trophy winner just comes in to run the occasional wildcat formation.