Tim Tebow Rumors: Is The Free Agent Quarterback Done In The NFL?

In late 2011, Tim Tebow may have been the most popular athlete in the U.S. As the quarterback of the Denver Broncos, he led his team to several comeback victories and won a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just a year and a half later, though, there are rumors that Tebow’s career could be over.

According to ESPN’s David Fleming, there are some members of Tebow’s camp that have admitted the 25-year-old knows he is done with the NFL. Shortly after the 2013 NFL Draft, the New York Jets released Tebow, who had two years left on his contract. Since he became a free agent, reports of teams looking to sign the quarterback have been virtually nonexistent.

Is Tebow’s time in the NFL up? According to his father, the report is not true. Bob Tebow told Ian Rapoport of nfl.com to “not believe all you hear.”

It may be hard to believe that Tebow would give up his pursuit of playing in the NFL next year. During the 2012 season, there were reports that he would ask to be traded or released if he wasn’t given the chance to replace Mark Sanchez as the Jets starter. Whether or not another team will take a chance on Tebow, however, is another question.

Despite the Broncos success when he started in 2011, the Heisman Trophy winner isn’t perceived by many in the NFL as a viable option at quarterback. One NFC scout told Marc Sessler of nfl.com that Denver’s run wasn’t because of Tebow.

"He's not a quarterback,” said the 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."

After making the trade for Tebow, New York didn’t give him much of a chance to make an impact. He attempted just eight pass attempts in 12 games and ran the ball 32 times for 102 yards. Even when Mark Sanchez was benched for a game, third-string quarterback Greg McElroy was given the start.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have long been thought of as the best situation for Tebow. He was a star in Florida during his college football career, and the club competed with New York when Denver was looking to trade him. Jacksonville, though, no longer seems like a viable landing spot for Tebow. Jaguars general manager has stated that the club won’t acquire the free agent.

Tebow may be good enough to earn a spot as a backup, with many teams looking for a reliable No.2 quarterback. As the Jets saw this past year, though, the media attention he brings might not be worth it.