Two days after word broke that the Denver Broncos had landed the services of legendary free agent quarterback Peyton Manning, the team traded last year's late season phenom, Tim Tebow, to the New York Jets. In exchange, the Broncos will get the Jets' 4th and 6th round picks in this year's draft, and New York will receive Denver's 7th round pick to complete the deal.
Tebow, a surprise number one pick by the Broncos in 2010, was never considered a traditional drop pack passer due to his quirky throwing motion and willingness to run with the football.
However, after a 1-4 start in 2011, the Broncos inserted Tebow into the lineup in place of Kyle Orton, and Tebow immediately began to make his mark with several impressive fourth quarter comebacks. The Broncos' offense may have struggled with Tebow under center, but he quickly became a fan and team favorite, and Denver rebounded from their poor start to finish at 8-8 and make the playoffs as surprise AFC West Champions.
Despite his offensive deficiencies, Tebow passed for 316 yards in the wild card playoff match-up against the Steelers and led the Broncos to an upset victory in overtime.
John Elway, the former Broncos legendary quarterback and now vice president in charge of player personnel for the team, never seemed quite on board with Tebow , but he did publicly endorse his young quarterback after the postseason.
However, he couldn't have envisioned having a chance to land Manning in free agency, and when the opportunity arose, the Broncos quickly became one of the front-runners for his services.
It remains to be seen how Tebow's career will unfold in New York. The Jets just signed Mark Sanchez to a contract extension, but much like Tebow, Sanchez has often been criticized for his inconsistent play.
It'll be interesting to see if Tebowmania resurfaces in the city that never sleeps.