Tim Tebow Will Only Bring More Distraction and Controversy to Jets Locker Room

Well, folks, Tebowmania has already begun in the Big Apple.

The concern, however, is whether this turns out to be an exiting and magical campaign as it was in Denver. After all, Tim Tebow did take over a 1-4 Broncos team and turn them into division champions.

Then again, the Orange Crush defense was a big help and it's only reasonable to suspect that Tebow will get the nod over Mark Sanchez if he slips up early on.

Just like the Kyle Orton situation, if Sanchez and Gang Green start off slow in 2012, you can bet that Tebow's name will hang like a cloud over the entire organization until he gets on the field. That being said, the internal and external distractions may have already begun.

According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, the Jets appear to be headed down an uneasy path:

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The players fear the worst could come this fall with a divided locker room, Sanchez sapped of confidence and Tebow playing a bigger role despite being a lesser passer. It is difficult to find anyone outside of general manager Mike Tannenbaum and coach Rex Ryan who feels optimistic about this move.

 

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Now, considering all the controversy that occurred during the final weeks of the 2011 season, the addition of Tebow in America's biggest market will only create that much more pressure. Even if the Jets do well early on, what if Tebow goes above expectations in a limited role?

Fans not only in New York but across the country will want to see what else the man can bring to the table, especially if Sanchez starts slow regardless if the Jets win.

From an external perspective, Jets' Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath didn't like the move. In an article by Michael McCarthy of USA Today, Namath stated:

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"I think it stinks," says the Pro Football Hall of Famer in a telephone interview.

"That's not a pat on the back. That's a slap in the face...If I were there, I'd be pissed off about it. But still go to work and try to make things work. But not be happy about it."

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Namath certainly is correct as well.

For one, the guy still emits the "Broadway" persona as good as anyone and the Big Apple will love him as long as his guarantee from Super Bowl III continues to remain a historical event in pro football lore.

Everything here being said, though, the majority of how the locker room remains intact has a lot to do with how Sanchez approaches the situation. Regardless of what the rest of the team thinks of him or Tebow, Sanchez has more control than we think.

Put it this way: if the man goes to work, gets better, remains a good teammate and embraces the skill set that Tebow provides, Sanchez would simply be "taking one for the team," as the saying goes.

We know Tebow isn't going to be negative, because that's not who he is and it showed in Denver. Tebow is simply going to put the time and effort in and if Sanchez does the same, there won't be nearly as much of a controversy.

Despite everything that potentially could happen between Sanchez, Tebow, the team and the organization, a lot of awkward situations and bad publicity can be averted if Sanchez takes the addition of Tebow as a challenge to improve and emerge as a leader and influence.

Talk about a lot of pressure even though we're still roughly half a year away from the regular season.

John Rozum on Twitter.