Champ Bailey: Tebow 'was one of my all-time favorite teammates'

Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Tim Tebow's New York Jets teammates might not have had the nicest things to say about him this week, but several of his former Denver Broncos mates weighed in with nothing but compliments about their ex-quarterback.

"He was one of my all-time favorite teammates," cornerback Champ Bailey told the Denver Post. "One of the best teammates I've ever had. Just because of the way he handled everything. It's not easy being him. Still not, obviously. He might not be able to stand back there and throw that ball like some, but he plays with a lot of heart. You can't knock a guy who tries that hard and puts that much into it."

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas told the paper that he texted encouragement to Tebow after the reports of locker room discord broke this week. Fellow pass-catcher Eric Decker also sang his praises.

"Obviously, everybody has opinions on the guy," Decker said. "Mine was, I respected the guy. His passion for the game, what he did on Sundays — it wasn't always the most conventional way, but it was a win. A lot of guys bought in and trusted more."

Clearly that passion hasn't transferred in New York, but the way the Broncos players still gush about Tebow certainly gives hope in his ability to thrive in a different environment next season.

For as much cheerleading as his former teammates are doing, you'll notice that none of them were asked if they'd still rather have Tebow under center than current Broncos starter Peyton Manning, who leads the NFL with a 108.0 passer rating. Those answers probably wouldn't be as glowing.