Tim Tebow 'Sexy Jesus' Pose
Controversy erupted after a picture from a GQ photo shoot featuring backup New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow included a shot of Tebow in a pose that closely resembles Jesus on the cross. GQ

Controversy erupted after a picture from a GQ photo shoot featuring backup New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow included a shot of Tebow in a pose that closely resembles Jesus on the Cross.

Tebow, a devout Christian, is shown standing in the black and white photo shirtless with his legs crossed and his arms outstretched sideways. The "sexy Jesus" shot came out the day Tebow turned 25 (eight years younger than Jesus at the Crucifixion).

The photo is displayed on GQ's website under an article provocatively titled, "Have You Accepted Tim Tebow as Your QB and Sunday Savior?"

Fox News pointed out that the photo was actually digitally altered and that Tebow posed for the GQ shot back when he was under center for the Florida Gators. You can see the original picture here.

Craig Carton, who co-hosts the Boomer and Carton sports talk show on WFAN in New York City, tore into Tebow over the pose, calling the quarterback a "narcissist," "fraud," and "sexy Jesus."

"He gets it, he plays the role," Carton said, according to Fox News. "He's typically very, very sincere and very, very consistent about who he is and what his beliefs are. You just saw a little inkling into what he thinks of himself."

Twitter users appeared to be uninformed about the origins of the photo.

"What was Tebow thinking?? Posing like Jesus pose & an article about accepting him as your sunday savior," said @michaelmears. Tebow actually wasn't interviewed for the GQ piece.

"Tim Tebow poses like Jesus Christ in GQ photoshoot. This has gotten out of control," said @CarsonC5.

"Seriously GQ? The Tim Tebow jesus pose is a little much," said @Q102Springfield.

Twitter user Chad Jay Mahoney, however, said critics were being too hard on Tebow.

"Tim Tebow can pose shirtlessly [sic] any which way he wants. Everyone else can just shut up about it," he said.