Tim Tebow released by Jets

NEW YORK — The clock has struck midnight on Tebow Time.

Tim Tebow was released Monday by the New York Jets, three days after the team selected West Virginia’s Geno Smith – the sixth quarterback on the roster – in the second round of the NFL Draft.

“We have a great deal of respect for Tim Tebow,” Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan said in a prepared statement. “Unfortunately, things did not work out the way we all had hoped. Tim is an extremely hard worker, evident by the shape he came back in this off-season. We wish him the best moving forward.”

Tebow’s days had been numbered ever since last season’s experimental signing proved to be a flop. When starter Mark Sanchez was benched last season, Ryan leapfrogged Tebow and started third-stringer Greg McElroy instead.

In the end, Tebow cost the Jets a fourth-round pick and $1.5 million in salary, plus an additional $2.5 million as part of the trade with Denver. He completed six of eight passes in his stint with the Jets, along with 32 rushes for 102 yards but no touchdowns.

The big question: Is any team interested in his services? At the moment, that appears unlikely.

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