Tim Tebow has denied rumors that he’s ready to give up his aspirations of an NFL career, despite a growing number of reports that no teams are interested in the quarterback.
Tebow was released by the New York Jets this offseason after a disappointing year. Though he led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs in 2011, including a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round, Tebow failed to see the field much in New York, and rarely touched the ball on offense.
Though rumors said Tebow could join several teams, he has not seen much interest since being cut. David Fleming of ESPN The Magazine now says many in Tim Tebow’s camp are “privately admitting that his NFL run is probably over.”
Tebow denies the rumors. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tracked down his dad, Bob Tebow, who said it’s not true that Tim is giving up on the NFL.
If Tebow does continue in the NFL, it will likely not be as a quarterback. Even in his time as signal caller in Denver, Tebow hit fewer than 50 percent of his passes and was far more effective as a bruising runner who wore defenses down over the course of the game.
Several NFL insiders now say that Tim Tebow could have a place as an H-back.
“He’s not a quarterback,” said one NFC scout. “When you look at his run two years ago, when you watch the tape and break it down, he wasn’t really doing anything that impressive. He’s a tough guy, a great leader, a great person. But he isn’t a good enough quarterback to have all the distractions that come with him.”
But it would be difficult for a team to bring in Tebow as a tight end of fullback given the media attention that comes with him. There have even been some rumors that Tebow is being blackballed from the NFL as teams are afraid to invite the round-the-clock press he will get.
“There’s no going halfway with Tebow anymore,” former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy said. “You either gotta sell out and give him the keys to your team or stay away. Because, unfortunately, there’s too much attention for him to be a regular, developing backup like everyone else.”
So while Tim Tebow denies rumors that he’s done with the NFL, he decision may not lay in his hands.