NFL Network's Darren Sharper rips Matt Slauson for ripping Tim Tebow
To Matt Slauson's credit, he was the lone New York Jets player to go on the record with his criticism/concern about backup quarterback Tim Tebow, who was deemed "terrible" by one unnamed Jets defender in a (New York) Daily News story that made the rounds Wednesday.
"It's not even close," Slauson said when asked to compare Tebow to struggling starter Mark Sanchez. "All the other quarterbacks know it. I have all the confidence in Mark. We don't really have a choice."
Yet even though Slauson showed candor many of his teammates did not, he is now being subject to blistering verbal haymakers himself.
"I talked to one of the offensive lineman for the Jets, and they said throughout this season, Matt Slauson has graded out the worst out of all the offensive linemen," NFL Network analyst Darren Sharper said on Wednesday's NFL Total Access.
"So that lets you know, until you have a couple all-pros behind your name, Matt Slauson, you need to be quiet. How about trying to get a block to get that passing game going? How about trying to get a block to get that running game going? Until you do that — the reason that he has really made me upset, he's broke the code of ethics within the locker room. Never make a negative comment about one of your players and one of your teammates, because it does not help this team out.
"And that's the problem with the New York Jets — they need to worry about what they need to do on the football field regardless of what's going on outside the football field."
Tebow maintained a stiff upper lip Wednesday and said Slauson was an "awesome" teammate.
Countered Heath Evans, Sharper's NFL Network sidekick and former New Orleans Saints teammate, "Obviously Tim Tebow hasn't been watching the game film that Darren and I have been watching talking about Matt Slauson being awesome."
Slauson took more questions in the locker room Wednesday.
"I've always thought Tim was a great player," he said. "I never said he wasn't a great player. He's a great dude and I enjoy having him on the team."