Jets didn't get Tebow to sell jerseys: Woody

Jets didn't get Tebow to sell jerseys: Woody

Ron Antonelli/New York Daily News

Tim Tebow’s No. 15 Jets jersey may be flying off the shelves at sporting good stores, but Jets owner Woody Johnson (below) says the team isn’t the team’s ‘main line of business.’

Despite the marketing buzz that Tim Tebows arrival has created for the Jets, owner Woody Johnson maintained on Tuesday that his team didnt trade for the lefthanded quarterback last month to sell more jerseys or spark Personal Seat License sales at MetLife Stadium. Tebows No. 15 Jets jersey, of course, is the hottest-selling item in the NFL in the past few weeks.

Not really, Johnson said in an interview on Fox Business Network on Tuesday. Jerseys arent really our main line of business. Our main line of business is winning games. I expect if we do well, we will continue to sell. Were pretty well sold out on PSLs despite what you read about.

Johnson hasnt ruled out the possibility that the Jets could make their second appearance on HBOs Hard Knocks in three years. He intimated last week that informal discussions have taken place even though no offer has been made yet. Tebow will return to the Jets facility in New Jersey on Monday for the start of t he teams offseason workouts.

I am very excited to see what impact hes going to have, Johnson said. I think hes a lot like (New Jersey) Governor Christie. He is what he is. Hes true to his beliefs; hes not afraid to tell you what he believes in. I think he will be a very positive influence in the locker room and I think he will help us win a lot of games.

The decision to trade for Tebow, who led the Broncos over the Steelers in a wild-card game before he and Denver lost to the Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs last season, was a curious one by the Jets. The team had just given Mark Sanchez a three-year extension a few weeks earlier and made it clear that Drew Stanton was the backup they had targeted from the start of free agency. Stanton was traded to the Colts after the Tebow deal.

Johnson told the Daily News and ESPN at the league meetings two weeks ago that Sanchez was the clear-cut starter without question.

If its a good decision (to trade for Tebow), Johnson said, if he turns out to be a great player, I will take full accountability for that.

This news was first reported in The Jets Stream

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