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Santonio Holmes' blow-up and benching occurred in the final minutes of the New York Jets' season-ending loss Sunday, but the tension had been building for days, team sources told ESPNNewYork.com.
The warning signs were there last week, team sources said Monday -- Holmes and Mark Sanchez exchanged words in a quarterback/receivers meeting last week, according to a source.
Sanchez, in an attempt to rally the Jets' slumping offense, addressed the unit in a meeting Wednesday and said he was planning to hold special after-hours sessions to fine-tune the game plan for the season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
Holmes showed up for the meeting, but stood in the back of the room and was "pouting the whole time," one source said. According to another source, Holmes said, "Why do I have to do this?" Sanchez held the same meeting the following day, but Holmes was a no-show, sources said.
"I had a feeling it was going to explode," one source said.
The issue came to a head with less than three minutes to play Sunday when Holmes and tackle Wayne Hunter argued in the huddle. Several players felt Holmes, who was held without a catch for the first time in his career, had quit on the team. He then was benched by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
On Monday, Holmes did not speak to reporters during the Jets' clean-out day. He walked to his locker and left immediately, escorted by a team PR person and trailed by about 30 reporters. It was an emotional day for the Jets, whose Super Bowl-or-bust season crashed with an 8-8 finish. Coach Rex Ryan, in his final team meeting, got so worked up while addressing the players that he teared up.
"Yeah, he was crying because he loves us so much," guard Matt Slauson said, adding, "he started off calm ... and he got really emotional. He put his heart out there, pleading with us, saying 'We have to get better.' "
Ryan did not call out Holmes by name in the meeting, according to players, but he clearly alluded to him when he talked about the importance of team unity. Ryan didn't use the word "quit," but he made veiled references to it.
Some players appeared shaken by the meeting. Cornerback Darrelle Revis, a team captain, refused to speak with reporters and bolted the locker room. Linebacker Bart Scott flipped his middle finger to a photographer and snapped, "Get that (f------) thing out of my face."
Several players said the lack of chemistry, particularly on offense, undermined New York's season.
Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum are scheduled to hold a joint news conference at 3 p.m. ET, possibly to announce changes to the coaching staff.
Source: AP
The warning signs were there last week, team sources said Monday -- Holmes and Mark Sanchez exchanged words in a quarterback/receivers meeting last week, according to a source.
Sanchez, in an attempt to rally the Jets' slumping offense, addressed the unit in a meeting Wednesday and said he was planning to hold special after-hours sessions to fine-tune the game plan for the season finale against the Miami Dolphins.
Holmes showed up for the meeting, but stood in the back of the room and was "pouting the whole time," one source said. According to another source, Holmes said, "Why do I have to do this?" Sanchez held the same meeting the following day, but Holmes was a no-show, sources said.
"I had a feeling it was going to explode," one source said.
The issue came to a head with less than three minutes to play Sunday when Holmes and tackle Wayne Hunter argued in the huddle. Several players felt Holmes, who was held without a catch for the first time in his career, had quit on the team. He then was benched by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
On Monday, Holmes did not speak to reporters during the Jets' clean-out day. He walked to his locker and left immediately, escorted by a team PR person and trailed by about 30 reporters. It was an emotional day for the Jets, whose Super Bowl-or-bust season crashed with an 8-8 finish. Coach Rex Ryan, in his final team meeting, got so worked up while addressing the players that he teared up.
"Yeah, he was crying because he loves us so much," guard Matt Slauson said, adding, "he started off calm ... and he got really emotional. He put his heart out there, pleading with us, saying 'We have to get better.' "
Ryan did not call out Holmes by name in the meeting, according to players, but he clearly alluded to him when he talked about the importance of team unity. Ryan didn't use the word "quit," but he made veiled references to it.
Some players appeared shaken by the meeting. Cornerback Darrelle Revis, a team captain, refused to speak with reporters and bolted the locker room. Linebacker Bart Scott flipped his middle finger to a photographer and snapped, "Get that (f------) thing out of my face."
Several players said the lack of chemistry, particularly on offense, undermined New York's season.
Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum are scheduled to hold a joint news conference at 3 p.m. ET, possibly to announce changes to the coaching staff.
Source: AP