Jets QB Greg McElroy Sounds Off On Jets Locker Room

New York Jets Rookie 3rd-String QB Greg McElroy aired out some of the team's dirty laundry this week during an interview with a Birmingham, AL radio station (McElroy of course lead Alabama to a National Championship a couple of years ago). Shortly after the Jets implosion to end the season on a 3-game losing streak, reports of in-house unrest and locker room troubles began to surface and were a likely cause for the team's failure to make the playoff this year (including losing to the Giants in Week 16 and thereby knocking the Eagles out of contention). Many reports surrounded WR Santonio Holmes who, after already stirring up trouble by calling out his offensive line earlier in the year, was benched at the end of the team's dismal Week 17 loss to the Miami Dolphins after getting in multiple fights with teammates and supposedly had also caused trouble during team meetings the week before.

Despite all these rumors most of the Jets clubhouse took the high road when asked about the situation and reiterated the need to keep such things "in house," according to players like much-maligned QB Mark Sanchez. McElroy however was the one Jet who decided he needed to share his feelings about the team's issues. Said McElroy "It's the first time I've ever been around extremely selfish individuals, and I think that's maybe the nature of the NFL... there were people within our locker rom that didn't care whether we won or lost, as long as they got (theirs)."

Regardless of the fact that his statements were probably spot on and probably confirm that Santonio Holmes was the main culprit (remember Holmes only cost the Jets a fifth-round pick in a trade from the Steelers following a series infractions while with Pittsburgh including a 4-game suspension) Greg McElroy just violated the trust of his entire team and has quickly earned the ire of NFL players both active and retired across the board. McElroy is a rookie seventh-round draft pick who spent almost the entire season on injured reserve. He has accomplished nothing in this league whatsoever but decided to throw his entire team under the bus and would not even name names. I always gave McElroy credit for being a smart, savvy player but this is pure idiocy. If you have a problem with guys in your locker room you go and bring it out with them in private, you don't go on some radio in Alabama and sound off.

Greg McElroy is a marginally talented QB at best and succeeded in college because of smart play and the fact that Alabama's passing attack played second-fiddle to Heisman Trophy winning RB Mark Ingram. McElroy's future in the NFL was likely not going to amount to much more than a career backup but now he may not even get that chance. If I am the Jets I am cutting this kid the first chance I get and it will be tough for him to find a new team as his new reputation will far outweigh anything he can contribute to a team.

Of course perhaps I'm wrong here and the Jets locker room can reconcile and rectify the cancerous situation that developed this year as they look toward the future. I guess time will tell.