Rex Ryan says Tim Tebow would have played in wildcat if asked

Jets Coach Rex Ryan insisted on Monday that crestfallen reserve quarterback Tim Tebow would have run the wildcat offense if called upon against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Of course, Tebow had reportedly told the coaching staff that he wanted no part of the wildcat after it was decided that third-string quarterback Greg McElroy would become the starter in place of ineffective Mark Sanchez.

Receiver Jeremy Kerley, who played quarterback in high school and led his team to a state title, ran the wildcat offense in a 27-17 loss to the Chargers.

Ryan thinks that Tebow would have done anything the coaching staff asked, from running the wildcat to taking over for McElroy.

“He was disappointed, there’s no question,” Ryan said. “He was disappointed that he was not named the starter, but with that being said, I’m not going to get into private conversations that I have with players, but it was my decision to use Jeremy Kerley in the wildcat, without question.

“But I’ll say this: I believe if Tim’s number was called, he would’ve went in and played. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”

Ryan took the high road when he was asked whether Tebow’s actions could be called insubordination.

“You guys are assuming something’s a fact or whatever, and that’s fine,” Ryan said. “If I would have asked Tim to play in anything, Tim would have gone into the game and done that.”

Tebow, who has been rumored to be heading to his home state of Florida to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars next season, didn’t mask his feelings about the season.

“Well, it’s been disappointing,” Tebow said of the season. “Obviously, it didn’t go as we thought, as I had hoped, but sometimes in life you have that. Sometimes you have setbacks and you just have to look at them as another opportunity for you to step back up and keep working and figure out what to do.”

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