What's Next for Tebow?

Now that Tim Tebow (aka the Robot) has been demoted to third string in Denver, we are all left wondering what’s next for the former Heisman trophy winner. The new rule that allows 3rd string quarterbacks to be active makes a difference. To clarify, historically if the 3rd string QB entered the game, the 1st or 2nd stringer could not re-enter the game. This has now been changed so that the 3rd stringer is treated as any other bench player, free to enter the game at any time. This means that Denver can keep Tebow as the #3, have him enter the game in special packages (likely in the redzone) and give him anywhere from 3-5 snaps a game. Not really what you’d classify as value for a first round pick, but John Fox didn’t pick him so it’s not that important. That is likely what will happen if things remain status quo.


Another option is that the Broncos ask the Robot to convert to H-back. I would be interested to see the Robot react to such a request given he has played pretty well in game scenarios. Would the guy who seemingly has never done anything wrong demand a trade? If the Broncos intended to go this route, I imagine the conversation would be held in private and if Tebow wasn’t open to the idea, they would release him or pursue a trade. How effective Tebow would be as an H-back is a mystery. Quarterbacks typically transition well because they have a better fundamental understanding of concepts and play design, but you never really know how his hands are or the extent of his blocking ability. The Broncos could use Tebow in wildcat formations still so this seems to be where they would get the most value if they don’t see him developing into a starting QB (which is clearly their stance right now), but I don’t know if Tebow would be open to it. We’ll see…

The other option is to trade Tebow. The Bills, Dolphins, Raiders, Niners and Seahawks all seem like possible destinations since their quarterback situations are unsettled to say the least. The Niners would likely be the best fit because he could be paired with Jim Harbaugh. An ‘out-of-the-box’ team could be the Colts. Letting him sit behind Manning could be very beneficial and he could be groomed as the heir apparent, but I think that’s unlikely. Tebow is intriguing because he could likely be had for a mid-round pick, not a lot of risk with the potential for a big reward. I think this is the most likely scenario and could happen within the next few weeks.

Another option is that the Broncos release him and he decides to follow in the footsteps of another Heisman trophy winner and head to Canada. Doug Flutie absolutely tore up the CFL for years and finally the Bills gave him a shot at returning to the NFL. Flutie was undersized and therefore no one wanted him but he was as fierce a competitor as they come. Sound familiar? It is unlikely that Tebow would slip passed every NFL team like Flutie did so I think this scenario is less than likely in the short term, but it’s intriguing nonetheless.

Tebow is a gamer, there is no doubt about it. There were multiple reports that he looked lost in training camp, but that never showed when he was in game action. Some players are simply not good practice players. If you’ve played before you know that inevitably there are guys that take it to another level in games and leave much to be desired in practice. Tebow strikes me as one of those guys. He has an unmatched hunger to win and sometimes that can be strong enough to overcome any physical limitations a player may have. However it turns out for the Robot I really hope he gets an opportunity to play quarterback so that we can all see what he’s got. He deserves the chance and, if he ever gets it, I have a feeling he won't give it up so easily.

The Indianapolis (Crickets)

There’s a famous song that goes “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone.” If you asked the Miami Dolphins whether or not they would go back and spend more money surrounding Dan Marino with an abundance of talent, what do you think they would say? Well I can tell you they probably wouldn’t answer because they are too busy working on a drug to reverse the aging process so they can get Marino back.


If you look back over the history of the NFL, the difference between teams that fall short of a championship and the ones that win multiple times boils down to a few critical moves by the GM and owner. Marino was a phenomenal quarterback but never really had the team around him to win a championship. A team that is excellent at recognizing these types of opportunities is the Green Bay Packers. When Brett Favre was entering his prime, the Packers went out and signed Reggie White to push the defense over the top. More recently, they realized that a young team needed a bit of a boost, so they went out and signed Charles Woodson, which took a little longer to payoff but nevertheless did last year.  The Cowboys adding Deion Sanders is another example of a move that secured a dynasty.  Sometimes no matter how hard a team tries, the stars just don’t align (Bills of the early 90’s) but there should be a special place in football hell for the GM’s that squander once in a generation talents to return a higher profit.

Enter the Indianapolis Colts. The news out of Indy today was that they signed Kerry Collins just incase Peyton Manning isn’t ready to go for week 1. I have the Colts making the playoffs on the assumption that Manning plays, but how many games do you see the Colts winning with Collins at the helm? 5? 6? All of a sudden Colts fans everywhere are realizing just how average their entire team is. Don’t get me wrong, Peyton could probably join the Carolina Panthers and take them to the playoffs, so the drop off should be expected. However, there’s a big difference between getting to the playoffs and winning Super Bowls. Just ask Dan Marino.

Trivia Question, what major asset have the Colts acquired through free agency since winning the Super Bowl? (Crickets). The answer is no one. Imagine for a second that instead of the Eagles, it was the Colts who made all of the big acquisitions this year. At the very least you’d think a good free agent receiver could be lured to Indy given the fact they’d be playing with Manning.  (Crickets).

Sure, a counterpoint could be made by saying that the Steelers rarely sign free agents and build through the draft, like the Colts do. However, they have a different formula for success and also don’t have anyone on their roster like Manning. Instead, the Steelers build a complete team that doesn’t rely on one guy whereas the Colts could legitimately change their name to the Indianapolis Mannings.

Peyton has about 3 years left to be in contention for a Super Bowl. The reason I say that is because he will need to be carry the team to the big game and even though I expect him to be a top 5 QB in 3 years, he won’t have that ability anymore.

Unfortunately, I don’t think the Colts are going to get the message. Peyton had the most clout this offseason because he was a free agent and the best the Colts could do were Tommie Harris and Ernie Sims. It could be worse Colts fans. At least you got to experience the joy of winning a Super Bowl with Peyton. Unfortunately those memories will have to last a lifetime.