Veteran cornerback Champ Bailey expects Tim Tebow to challenge Mark Sanchez for the Jets' starting quarterback job.
NEW YORK -- Champ Bailey looks at "Tebowmania," the passionate fan frenzy that follows Tim Tebow wherever he goes, in a very realistic way.
"Roll with it," the veteran Broncos cornerback said today at the unveiling of the new Nike NFL uniforms in Brooklyn. "You can't stop it."
Video: NFL and Nike unveil new uniform At the unveiling of Nike's new NFL uniforms, the Giants Victor Cruz dances the salsa and the Jets Shonn Greene talks about new teammate Tim Tebow. Video by John Munson/The Star-Ledger Watch video Bailey saw firsthand the swell of Tebow supporters in Denver last year, as the young quarterback took over the starting job and led the Broncos to a division title and first-round playoff win. Now that Tebow has been traded to the Jets, Bailey said starter Mark Sanchez should be on notice.
"He’s going to challenge him, absolutely," Bailey said. "Sanchez can't be too comfortable in his seat. He's just got to keep playing, play well, and he doesn’t have to worry about it. But if he doesn’t play well, we all know what is going to happen next."
The 13-year veteran's advice for Sanchez was to stay focused on his own work -- which is what Sanchez is doing in training sessions out in Southern California -- and not get caught up in the speculation, because that's how players can lose their jobs.
The Jets have repeatedly and publicly asserted that Sanchez is their starter, and Tebow will back him up and run a package of Wildcat and direct-snap plays. This is a delicate balance contingent on Sanchez taking a step forward from an inconsistent 2011 season, and Tebow taking a step back from his former starting role with the Broncos.
"I'm sure he’ll do it. Will he like doing it for the rest of his career? I don’t think so," Bailey said of Tebow. "I think this is a short-term thing. The guy is going to be a starter at some point, whether here or somewhere else, because he's going to work to get it done."
Both Sanchez and Tebow have publicly said all the right things since the trade two weeks ago, but those who know Tebow say he's planning to compete to be a starter again.
"The thing I love about Tebow is, when I see him give interviews, I know exactly what he is talking about," said Vikings receiver Percy Harvin, Tebow's college teammate at Florida. "For anybody to think he's not going in there to win the starting job, you'd be fooling yourself. Sanchez and those guys, they want to sit back and say how calm and cool and they're not worried about it. Anybody other than Peyton Manning, Michael Vick, some names like that -- if you have Tebow coming to your team, you have a situation."
While Tebow had success running an option-style attack for the Broncos last year, he has been criticized for his passing and his ability to run a conventional offense. Harvin, who played with Tebow for three seasons at Florida, admitted Tebow "doesn't throw the best ball." But Harvin added that he "never, ever, ever had a problem" with Tebow's passes.
Bailey says Tebow is focused on improving.
"I absolutely think he can be a starting quarterback," Bailey said. "I know he's not content with the way he plays right now. He wants to get better at a lot of different things. If he gets better, he’ll be a consistent starter in this league at some point."
Bailey had no shortage of praise for his former teammate. He called him a "great kid" and added, "I love him to death." Even though Tebowmania became hectic at times, Bailey said, Tebow made it easier on his teammates by handling it with class and professionalism.
He also pushed those around him by being a "great competitor," Bailey said. He expects that will transfer to the Jets locker room.
"I think once Sanchez sees how hard (Tebow) works â€" I don’t know anything about Sanchez, but it’s going to make him even work harder," Bailey said. "I'm sure he's a hard worker now, but when you see guys doing things very well, it makes you want to do them better because guys are always trying to take your spot."
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