New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) and head coach Rex Ryan bow their heads during a moment of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., before an... (Associated Press) 
 
 In the end, the Tim Tebow era in New York will be remembered for his shirtless jog in the rain. 
 
 Really, that's about it. 
 
 He barely played at all for the Jets, who clearly didn't do any sort of clear-headed reasoning before they traded for Tebow, then quickly began asking themselves, "Uhh, what were we thinking?" 
 
 And now, with a hugely disappointing season all but done and Mark Sanchez finally banished to the bench, coach Rex Ryan officially signaled the end of Tebow Time in the Big Apple. He turned to Greg McElroy, a seventh-round pick in 2011, to start Sunday's now-meaningless game against San Diego. 
 
 No one thinks McElroy's the answer to what ails the Jets. But, apparently, he's more of an answer than Tebow, who will watch the game from the same spot he's spent nearly the entire season _ the bench. 
 
 Tebow's career with the Jets will surely go down as a one-and-done flop. At this point, it would be easier to find Waldo on the depth chart than Tebow. 
 
 Shortly after this mess of a year comes to its merciful end, he will surely ask for a trade (politely, of course) or simply be released. 
 
 "I think it's where we are right now and I just think it's best for our team and for this game," Ryan said on a conference call Tuesday, explaining his decision to start McElroy instead of Tebow less than 24 hours after a hideous loss to Tennessee officially eliminated the Jets from playoff contention. 
 
 "That's how I feel." 
 
 He wouldn't get any more specific than that, repeatedly referring to it being a "gut" decision _ nothing more, nothing less. 
 
 Not that there was much Ryan could say. The Jets backed themselves into a corner way back in March when they acquired Tebow from the Denver Broncos, and they never came up with a way out. 
 
 Supposedly, the plan was to let Sanchez remain the starter, with Tebow working two or three series a game as a change-of-pace option, running out the Wildcat or spread to give defenses another look. But there were a couple of big problems with that scenario. 
 
 For one, the Jets really didn't have the personnel on offense to change things up that drastically, even for just a few plays a game. Heck, as it turned out, they really didn't have enough talent around Sanchez to run a conventional offense, and they never thought for a moment that Tebow had the skill set to oversee anything resembling the norm. 
 
 Then, there's the dilemma that everyone could see coming before Tebow's jet even landed in New York. Everyone except the Jets, that is. If the team played a second quarterback, even while insisting he was just the backup, Sanchez's standing would've been undermined beyond repair (which might have been the case regardless, as it turns out). 
 
 It's called a quarterback controversy. If Tebow had been given the chance to do something _ anything _ all the fans and pundits and talking heads would have been screaming for a change at the slightest hint of success. 
 
 So, while Tebow raised a ruckus merely by stripping off his shirt to jog off the field on a rainy day at training camp, Sanchez remained the undisputed starter. He held on as captain of the Titanic right to the bitter end, the Jets resisting any urge to save themselves by jumping in a lifeboat piloted by Tebow. 
 
 "I know Tim is a tremendous competitor, and I don't doubt that at all," Ryan said, again explaining in the vaguest possible terms why it will never be Tebow Time on his team. "For right now, I think this move, it's a move that I made, is best for our team in this game. I believe that and that's why I'm making the move that I'm making." 
 
 Tebow has played in 11 games for the Jets, but if you blinked, you missed him. Outside of a 23-yard completion against Indianapolis back in mid-October, he's passed for a grand total of 16 yards. He's had just three runs longer than 10 yards. He's yet to reach the end zone with either his legs or his left arm. 
 
 Now, the Jets can't afford for him to play well _ not even in their final two meaningless games. 
 
 As with all sinking ships, everyone is now trying to figure out a way to save himself. Ryan is hanging on by a thread. So is Tony Sparano, the offensive coordinator who was supposed to make this experiment work. Not to mention general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who has overseen the gutting of a franchise that seemed on the rise not so long ago. 
 
 If Tebow plays now _ and plays well _ those Jets fans still paying attention would undoubtedly wonder, "Hey, why haven't they been playing him all along?" Which would lead to all the above-mentioned figures finding themselves looking for work next season. They may be anyway, but they no longer have any chance of surviving on Tebow's back. 
 
 In hindsight, Tebow and the Jets were like love-struck teenagers back in March, all giddy over each other and not paying a lick of attention to what really mattered. 
 
 For Tebow it was a chance to spread his clean-cut, deeply religious brand in the greatest media market of them all. For the Jets, it was a chance to steal away some of the thunder from the team they share a city and a stadium with, the Super Bowl champion New York Giants. 
 
 In the end, the only winner was the Broncos, playing the role of the all-knowing parent. Even after Tebow guided the team to the playoffs in 2011 and a stirring overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round, GM John Elway knew he needed more skill at the most important position on the field. He jumped at the chance to land one of the best ever, Peyton Manning, and quickly dumped Tebow on the Jets, even picking up a couple of draft picks in the deal. 
 
 And look where they teams are now: Denver, the AFC West champion and headed to the playoffs with an 11-3 record; the Jets, already looking ahead to the offseason at 6-8. 
 
 So, it's time for Tebow to put the shirt back on and find another team. Maybe he'll wind up close to home with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Or maybe another team in desperate QB straits, such as the Arizona Cardinals. If those options don't pan out, he could even give the Canadian Football League a try. The game north of the border might be better suited to his unorthodox style. 
 
 No matter what, the clock has run out on Tebow Time in New York. 
 
 We all saw the end coming, what surprised us was the Jets didn't wind the darn thing up. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Paul Newberry in a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 

 James Keivom/New York Daily News Could Jets 'backup' QB Tim Tebow be heading out of town? If he doesn't get a chance, he will ask for a trade, a source tells the Daily News Tuesday. 
 
 The Jets added a few more bizarre chapters Tuesday to a surreal quarterback storyline that has grabbed the headlines for the better part of nine months. One day after Rex Ryan’s loyalty to Mark Sanchez cost the Jets a chance at the playoffs, the coach pulled the plug on the supposed franchise quarterback by replacing him with the third-string quarterback who hadn’t been active for two weeks. Greg McElroy will make his first career start against the Chargers at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, three weeks after he relieved Sanchez in the second half of a 7-6 win over the Cardinals. 
 
 
 
 Ryan’s decision was a stunning indictment not only of Sanchez, once believed to be the future of the franchise, but also backup Tim Tebow, who has become an afterthought. 
 
 BONDY: DYSFUNCTIONAL JETS TURN TEBOW INTO TINY TIM 
 
 MYERS: JETS' QB SITUATION A TOTAL TRAIN REX 
 
 
 
 But Ryan’s decision to bench Sanchez wasn’t the only domino to fall less than 24 hours after the Jets were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. 
 
 
 
 The Daily News has learned that Tebow, who captivated the NFL last season with his miracle playoff run in Denver, will request to be traded or released after the season assuming that McElroy starts the final two games. Tebow’s desire to part ways with a franchise that never gave him a chance came to a head after McElroy, who has seven career passes on his NFL resume, leapfrogged him, according to a source. 
 
 
 
 “I want to put Greg out there,” Ryan said on Tuesday. “I’m going to put Greg out there. In my opinion, that’s what’s best for our team.” 
 
 
 
 Ryan admitted that he told Sanchez after Monday night’s disastrous loss in Tennessee that he would bench him this week. “I told Mark we needed to make a change,” Ryan said. “He respected my decision.” 
 
 Robert Sabo/New York Daily News Greg McElroy. 
 
 Ryan and Sanchez’s four-year run began with so much promise with back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances in the first two seasons. But it ended with a pair of disappointing seasons. Ryan made the decision to start McElroy instead of Tebow on Tuesday. 
 
 
 
 Ryan said that he “had a lot of conversations” with people in the organization, but it was ultimately his call to bench Sanchez, who had started every game of his career except one late in his rookie year due to a knee injury. 
 
 
 
 “This is my decision and solely my decision,” said Ryan, who didn’t commit to McElroy as the starter beyond this week. 
 
 
 
 Ryan had no choice but to make the switch after Sanchez’s miserable five-turnover performance in Monday night’s 14-10 loss to the Titans on Monday night. Sanchez has a league-high 50 turnovers since the start of last season. 
 
 
 
 Ryan benched Sanchez late in the third quarter three weeks ago after he threw three interceptions. McElroy rallied the Jets to a 7-6 win over the Cardinals on that day, but he was inactive for the next two games. “I liked what I saw from Greg against Arizona,” Ryan said. “I like what I see on the practice field.” 
 
 
 
 Although the prospect of having Sanchez under center in front of a disgruntled home fan base on Sunday would appear to have made the decision easier for Ryan, the prevailing thought in the organization was that the upcoming game’s locale didn’t really matter. 
 
 
 
 “Home or away . . . I don’t care where the game is being played,” one prominent member of the organization told The News said before Ryan made it official. “There’s no way that he starts.” 
 
 Andy Lyons/Getty Images Mark Sanchez. 
 
 Sanchez lost some trust of teammates after his poor performances in the recent months, but many wanted to give him another chance after Ryan benched him in the second half against the Cardinals in Week 13. 
 
 
 
 Although players didn’t explicitly point fingers at Sanchez after his five-turnover performance on Monday night, the vibe was apparent: The quarterback’s blunders were the primary reasons that the Jets dropped too 6-8 and out of playoff contention. 
 
 
 
 “I can’t speak for everybody,” safety LaRon Landry said. “That’s not my job (to speak about the offense). I’m a defender. That’s why they’ve got guys upstairs and coaches. They make that decision.” 
 
 
 
 Sanchez shouldn’t be exonerated for his poor decision-making and execution on Monday night, but the Jets made a couple of curious decisions that proved counterproductive. Ryan inexplicably chose to activate six wide receivers rather than dress McElroy. The Jets also predetermined that Tebow, who hadn’t played in three weeks due to a lingering rib injury, would get a full series for the first time this season on the third drive. 
 
 
 
 Sanchez moved the Jets well on their first two drives, but watched from the sidelines when the Tebow-led drive went nowhere. 
 
 
 
 “I don’t set standards for Mark,” right guard Brandon Moore said. “Mark is doing the best he can. You can’t take away his commitment and his approach to the game.” 
 
 
 
 The bigger question is whether the Jets’ brain trust undercut Sanchez this season by trading for Tebow. “I don’t necessarily believe that,” Ryan said. 
 
 
 
 So, was the Tebow trade a mistake? “People can speculate anything they want,” Ryan said. 
 
 
 
 But the reality is impossible to ignore. Tebow’s presence had an adverse effect on Sanchez, who didn’t help his cause by playing poorly. The quarterback mess ultimately cost the Jets a chance at the postseason. 
 
 
 
 Ryan didn’t get into specifics about his job security, but made it clear that he’s responsible for the final product, which wasn’t good enough for the second consecutive season. “The end result is we’re 6-8 and I know I’m accountable for that,” Ryan said. 
 
 
 
 Twitter.com/MMehtaNYDN 

 CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Tim Tebow is having trouble finding his receivers, but he's connecting with teammates. 
 
 Tim Tebow's shirtless run in the rain Saturday at Jets camp was the talk of the Jets' locker room on Sunday. "Maybe it was holy water," Bart Scott joked. Rich Barnes/US Presswire 
 
 His shirtless run in the rain -- a photo that went viral Saturday on the Internet -- was a hot topic of conversation in the New York Jets' locker room, where Tebow was subjected to a heavy dose of razzing. You might say he caught a lot of shirt for removing his practice jersey in a heavy downpour at the end of practice. 
 
 "Maybe it was holy water," linebacker Bart Scott said jokingly Sunday, alluding to Tebow's strong religious beliefs. 
 
 Tebow, surprised it became such a big story, showed a self-deprecating side by showing up topless for a quarterbacks meeting. 
 
 At least he can laugh at himself. 
 
 The backup quarterback with rock-star popularity is off to a shaky start on the field, struggling with his accuracy, but he has impressed his new team with his work ethic and humble approach. 
 
 "How can you ever not accept somebody who has humility, who works hard, who's a great teammate?" Scott said. 
 
 A couple of team members suggested Tebow's dash past photographers was calculated, a way to divert attention from his lousy practice. Even if that's true, it didn't seem to bother anyone. Mostly, they laughed it off. 
 
 "You have to give him a hard time," said linebacker Bryan Thomas, laughing. "Man, that's not Christian-like." 
 
 Tebow knew it became a big deal because he mentioned it to his roommate, wide receiver Chaz Schilens, when he got back to the dorm. 
 
 "I didn't see it, but I heard it was all over the news," Schilens said. "You guys got him on that. It was a little funny ... but I bet he doesn't do it again." 
 
 Schilens has an inside view of Tebowmania. He's not sure how he wound up as Tebow's roommate -- it apparently is a random pairing -- but he has enjoyed the arrangement. He said Tebow wakes up every day at 6 a.m., exhibits "mid-level" neatness and basically acts like a normal person. 
 
 "I tell him, 'I don't know how you do it,' " said Schilens, who has received calls from friends who want him to ask Tebow for an autograph. "I've never seen anything like it. The fans around here love him. The moment he steps on the field, the fans are just fascinated by him, and rightly so. He's a good dude." 
 
 After a lukewarm reception Saturday for the public practice, Tebow received a huge ovation Sunday when he scrambled out of the pocket and ran up the sideline closest to the bleachers -- the first true Tebow moment in training camp. 
 
 In the meeting room, Tebow is attentive and curious, according to teammates. They say he's usually one of the first players to raise his hand in the classroom, asking questions of the coaches. 
 
 "Having Tim has been fantastic," third-string quarterback Greg McElroy said. "He's such a positive guy, he's such a worker. It's fun to see him. You hear all the stories about him, from college and the NFL, and now I finally get a chance to spend a little time with him."
– Tim Tebow took the football world by storm as a Denver Bronco, but since being traded to the New York Jets, he's spent nearly all of his time on the bench—and a source tells the New York Daily News he'll ask the team to release or trade him after this season. The report comes after Jets coach Rex Ryan announced he would replace disappointing first-string quarterback Mark Sanchez with third-string Greg McElroy instead of Tebow. The AP reports that Ryan didn't shed much light on the reasoning behind his choice beyond repeatedly referring to it as a "gut" decision. (Amusingly, it also notes that this will be the most-remembered moment from Tebow's time in New York.) McElroy will make the first start of his career Sunday, and, assuming he starts the final two games of the season as he is expected to, Tebow will reportedly ask to part ways with the team. (And in other glum news for Tebow, he made this list.)