CORTLAND, N.Y. -- Rex Ryan wants Santonio Holmes to catch passes, not to pass judgment on the team's plans for Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow.
The New York Jets' coach, commenting on Holmes' recent criticism of the two-quarterback system, responded with a mild rebuke.
"Well, I understand what Holmes is saying, you know Tone's talking about a guy ... (the starting quarterback) has to get a feel and all that kind of stuff," Ryan said in an interview with ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. "But I brought Santonio in here to be a receiver, not to be the offensive coordinator. And that's the way it is.
"I love Santonio, but if I wanted to hire him as our offensive coordinator, we would've."
Ryan hired former Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano to run the offense, which will include Tebow in a wildcat package. Holmes said he doesn't believe a two-quarterback system can work in the NFL because it disrupts the starter's rhythm.
"First of all, every player is entitled to their own opinion," Sparano told Paolantonio. "I been around long enough to know that there's a lot of definitions of two-quarterback systems, and what some of these things mean, and what they don't mean."
The controversial Holmes, who feuded with Sanchez at the end of last season, could be a time bomb for the Jets because of his mouth. Holmes also clashed with former Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
Now Sparano has Holmes, and was asked if he anticipates the receiver being a problem.
"I'm not going get into that, I'm not going to comment that way," he said. "But I would say that everything I know right now with Santonio, he and I have gotten off to a really great start here and respect one another that way, and I think the relationship will be a good one."
Holmes, in an interview last week with the NFL Network, stated without hesitation that he believes a two-quarterback system won't work.
"You have to allow one quarterback to get into the rhythm of a game and it starts from the preparation in practice," he said. "(It's) knowing the first couple of plays that he's going to take these reps, it's getting the feel for coming onto the field with the crowd awaiting you, it's making the mistakes early in the game to finishing the games at the end.
"You don't just change a guy out just because he has a few mistakes early into a game."
Holmes tempered his remarks by saying that the Sanchez-Tebow dynamic might have a chance because Tebow will be operating from a scripted package of plays.