Everyone had to know this was coming. Perhaps not this soon, but once the New York Jets chose to draft West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, the writing was on the wall. There were going to be some significant changes at the quarterback position for the Jets.
The first domino fell today as the Jets chose to release quarterback Tim Tebow, who has had an up-and-down career in his 3-plus seasons in the league. He was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft admidst much controversy. His 2011 season was the one he’s going to tell his grandkids about some day as he led the Broncos to the playoffs and an exciting win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But changes in Denver meant it was time for Tebow to go and he went in a trade to New York into one of the most convoluted quarterback situations in the league. His season is nondescript, as he rarely saw the field and when he did, the bulk of his plays were forgettable. Going into the 2013 season, many predicted Tebow would be gone regardless of what else happened.
But Monday it was reported that Tebow has been released by the team, and is now free to sign with any other team in the NFL. The timing of this couldn’t be worse for Tebow as many teams addressed depth at the quarterback position via the draft, so finding work could be challenging. Tebow could remain unemployed all the way through the summer and might not find work until training camp if a team needs a veteran for depth or injury replacement. There are several teams who could potentially benefit from a dueal-threat player like Tebow, but with rosters being what they are and the potential media circus that follows, it will be it hard for teams to get on board.
Curt covers the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFL draft, and college football for Rant Sports. Connect with Curt on Twitter @nfldraftboard.
