I say this as an atheist, a lifelong Jets “fan,” and a Tebow admirer: If fate intervenes at the last minute to spare this poor kid from having to play for this hopeless loser franchise, it really is a data point in favor of believers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets:

Filed to ESPN (1): Denver and Jets have encountered hangup in language in Tim Tebow’s contract that could nullify trade.

(2) If the Tebow trade to Jets falls apart, St. Louis could wind up getting back into play. Sides sorting through details.

Tim Tebow has $5 million worth of recapture language, meaning Jets would have to pay back money to Denver. Jets might be unwilling. Complex.

The same money issues in Tim Tebow’s contract caused complications for Jacksonville trying to complete trade. Now Jets facing them…

Jets-Broncos agreed to Tim Tebow trade before Denver asked NY to pay back portion of bonuses and salary already paid to Tebow. No deal yet.

They just brought in Tony Sparano as offensive coordinator and Sparano’s a big fan of the wildcat offense (as is Rex Ryan), so go figure that they’d grab the ultimate wildcat QB if they can get him for the low, low price of a couple of draft picks. (Plus $5 million?) Platooning wouldn’t be unusual for Tebow either: The Gators won the national championship in 2006 with an offense that utilized both him and Chris Leak. In theory it could kinda sorta work. In practice, what’ll happen is (a) as soon as Sanchez starts to play mediocre, and he will, Jets fans will torment him with “we want Tebow” chants and that’ll create tension; (2) Tebow will be miserable dealing with the famously nasty Jets locker room (the backbiting has already begun, believe it or not); and (3) the team will struggle offensively anyway because the wildcat is lame, especially now that it’s been four years since it came into vogue and pro defenses have better adapted to it. This Onion headline about sums things up.

Oh well. If the trade does happen, at least there’ll be a new reason to root for the Jets, bringing the total number of reasons to root for the Jets up to one. Here’s the whole dumb franchise in a nutshell: Two months ago, it looked like the Jets might land top-five-of-all-time Peyton Manning while the Broncos were stuck figuring out how to win with Tebow. Instead the Broncos get Manning while unloading Tebow onto the Jets. Losers.