New York Jets coach Rex Ryan is tiring of the Tim Tebow questions. But they keep coming.
Darlington: Tebow the Terrible
The Jets are stunned Tim Tebow isn't a good practice player? Should have done their homework, Jeff Darlington says. **More ...**
Ryan met with reporters Wednesday and refused to respond to a string of anonymous quotes from Jets players calling the backup quarterback "terrible" and little more than "the Wildcat guy."
Ryan said he lacked respect for the whisperers: "If you're going to make a negative (comment), that's fine ... but put your name to it."
The coach said he addressed the team on the matter, and he disagreed with the notion the Jets are floating away to the same place last season's drama magnet wound up.
"This team is coming together," Ryan said. "This team is not going to be pulled apart by outside people."
Ryan credited offensive lineman Matt Slauson, the only player who went on the record to tell the New York Daily News there's no competition between Tebow and Mark Sanchez for the starting job.
"It's not even close," Slauson said. "All the other quarterbacks know it. I have all the confidence in Mark. We don't really have a choice."
Ryan emphasized -- for the 243rd time -- that Tebow was brought to New York to contribute as a football player, not to undermine Sanchez.
"(Tebow) never came in here to be the starting quarterback. I thought I was clear on that," he said, looking around the room.
"I'm not hiding anything," Ryan said at one point, sounding frustrated with the day's events, if not with a season that fades away by the hour.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.