Will Jets give Tebow his shot at starting?

Where that ultimately leaves the New York Jets— and Mark Sanchez, who remains on the marquee as starting quarterback — is anyone's guess. Sanchez, who once was considered can't-miss, has watched his bright light flicker with diminished performances.

The question that begs to be asked: Is it only a matter of time before Tim Tebow — the NFL's most unique, scrutinized player — takes over as the Jets' starter?

Welcome to the football theater of the absurd, according to the Jets' critics.

Tebow's mere presence creates an intriguing dynamic and a compelling story line. The franchise has waited 44 often-painful years for a sequel to Broadway Joe Namath's guarantee, and deliverance, of a Super Bowl trophy.

The Jets, and head coach Rex Ryan, lost swagger during a tension-filled, non-playoff 2011 season, even as their MetLife Stadium cohabitants, the New York Giants, took home their second NFL championship in five years. The Jets envision that Tebow's unconventional playmaking ability, peerless work ethic, positive locker room influence and looming presence will help lift the franchise to its first AFC East Division title since 2002.

So can the Jets gamble on a quarterback whose best single-season completion percentage is an underwhelming 56.7% and whose career passer rating is a pedestrian 73.2?

That would be Sanchez, by the way. So is New York headed for an unavoidable quarterback controversy?

"You just can't make this stuff up," ESPN analyst Cris Carter said. "We know what is going to happen. It's going to end badly for Mark Sanchez."

The Jets maintain that Sanchez remains their unquestioned leader. "He is the cornerstone of our franchise," Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum told USA TODAY Sports.

"We're just bringing in this other guy to enhance our offense," Tannebaum said, a reference to Tebow's deployment in new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's Wildcat option package.

Except, this "other guy" is no other guy: Tebow generates some of the most polarizing opinions in pro football.

"Whatever my role is," Tebow told USA TODAY Sports, "I will make the most of it. I am going to be the best quarterback I can be in whatever they ask me to do. I think that sometimes people don't really grasp that. It's a great situation. I'm excited."

But ominous clouds gather overhead that could create turbulence for Sanchez and the Jets. Of course, the chief reasons that prompt a head coach to make a change at the critical position are injury and ineffectiveness, particularly if the fan base and the news media are restless. In 2011, 59% of NFL teams (19 of 32) started the same quarterback every game.

If the Jets have difficulty in pass-protection schemes, which they did in the preseason, Tebow's sturdy legs make him an appealing alternative. After the third preseason game, the Jets traded former starting right tackle Wayne Hunter to the St. Louis Rams for tackle Jason Smith, 2009's No. 2 overall pick who had also moved into a reserve role. For now, journeyman Austin Howard remains the starter at right tackle.

The Jets also have a difficult early-season schedule that includes road games with the Pittsburgh Steelers and two AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots, plus home games against the San Francisco 49ers and the Houston Texans, two 2011 division champions.

Sanchez and Tebow, both 25, were friends before sharing the green and white.

"He's a great teammate," Sanchez said.

But how will the fourth-year signal-caller respond if he is yanked routinely in favor of Tebow in the red zone? Or if the Jets offense sputters, as it did in the preseason, and Ryan replaces him?

Preferring the element of surprise for the regular season, Ryan and Sparano declined to unveil the change-of-pace Wildcat package in the preseason. Sparano estimates using it about 100 snaps during the season (less than 10% of the team's offense).

"Just because we have a player in the building that has some history running the football ... doesn't necessarily mean that's exactly what we're going to do," he said.

The Jets failed to score a touchdown in their first three preseason games.

"The way I see it," Sanchez wryly told news reporters, "we are saving all the good stuff for the regular season."

Fans will know more when the curtain rises Sunday with the Jets' season opener at home against the Buffalo Bills. For now, Tebow, a 6-3, 245-pound tough-to-tackle left-hander, carries the proverbial clipboard — and the knack for being an instant game-changer.

"Tebow makes plays," said Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who watched the quarterback, then with the Denver Broncos, beat the Jets 17-13 with a 20-yard scoring run in the final minute of a 2011 game, capping a 95-yard drive. "I really don't know where his role is going to go, (but) he gets respect because that Wildcat is hard to stop. I'm sure he's going to do great things for us this year."