Tim Tebow trade 'rattled' Mark Sanchez, says Santonio Holmes

Mark Sanchez was "rattled" by the arrival of Tim Tebow, said Santonio Holmes. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

Mark Sanchez was reportedly "rattled" in March when he heard the news that Tim Tebow was on his way to the New York Jets, said teammate Santonio Holmes, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com:

"I think since Day 1, it was a focus that kind of rattled him a little," the veteran wide receiver said. "I use that word only to say that, 'Wow, how did this happen?' Those were words that came out of his mouth."

Sanchez wasn't available for comment following Holmes' remarks on Wednesday, but Holmes told the media that he had responded to Sanchez's comments in March by reassuring him that he is still the starting quarterback of the team:

"I basically said to him, 'This is (your) team. You're the starting quarterback. Tebow is here to help us win games,'" said Holmes, claiming he was repeating what coach Rex Ryan had told him about the trade. ""[T]hose were the exact words I gave to Mark, to give him a sense of security ..."

Publicly, Sanchez has welcomed Tebow's trade from the Denver Broncos to New York, saying the addition of a player of his stature will help win games and make the Jets a better overall team. But with this latest news from Holmes, it will be interesting to see if, in fact, Sanchez lets Tebow negatively impact his play with only a few days before the regular season begins. The Jets kick off their season Sunday afternoon at home against the Buffalo Bills.