3 Reasons Donovan McNabb Is Right About Tim Tebow

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Donovan McNabb embraced his new career as an outspoken sports analyst on Friday when he heavily criticized Tim Tebow.

The six-time Pro Bowl quarterback was appearing on ESPN's "First Take" when the topic of a recent Twitter message by Tim Tebow was brought up. Tebow used the social networking site to thank Broncos fans for their support and promise Jets fans that he would play his heart out for them.

McNabb said Tebow needs to turn his attention to football and take a break from social media.

"Let it go. At some point let's focus on getting into camp and learning a new offense," McNabb said. "There's no need to keep trying to have the fans behind you."

McNabb went on to say, "As an NFL player, and as a veteran in this game, no one cares what you're doing during the offseason. They only care about what you do on the football field."

While McNabb's criticism of the popular quarterback may have seemed harsh and unfair to some, he definitely made a very strong case. Tebow is already a controversial figure in the NFL, and his reputation off the field overshadows what he does during game time. Ultimately, McNabb was spot on about why the seemingly harmless tweet can do more damage than good.

Impress Teammates, Not Fans

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If Tim Tebow feels the need to impress anyone, it should be his new teammates. The Jets locker room is notoriously dysfunctional, and Tebow's arrival is a new addition to the circus.

Before the trade was finalized, Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie voiced his opinion on Twitter:

"Y bring Tebow in when we need to bring in more weapons for @Mark_Sanchez let's build the team around him."

The attitude in the Jets' locker room is terrible, and if Tebow wants to make the most out of his career in New York, he needs to mesh with his infamous teammates. From wide receiver Santonio Holmes publicly calling out Mark Sanchez last season to Rex Ryan's trash-talking antics, the Jets are no strangers to drama.

Tebow is arguably the most polarizing figure in the NFL and the Jets' front office has stirred up more drama by forcing players to choose between Tebow and Sanchez. Tebow needs to prove that he is an asset to their team.

The best thing for Tebow to do is gain the confidence of his teammates by playing well. The fans will follow.

Focus on Becoming Starting QB

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Despite all the hype surrounding him, Tim Tebow is still a backup quarterback.

McNabb was 100 percent right when he said:

"At this particular point, get off of Twitter, focus on being with your new team, the Jets, and trying to prepare yourself to be the starting quarterback instead of coming in as a backup."

Tebow went from being the No. 1 guy in Denver to the second option in New York. He needs to learn the Jets offense so he can not only prove that he's an asset to the team, but that he also deserves to be starting quarterback.

In 2011, Tebow had a 46.5 completion percentage and a 72.9 quarterback rating. If he ever wants to be taken seriously as a quarterback in the NFL, he needs to focus on his game. Feeding into the hype through social media will not benefit his production on the field.

Twitter Equals Controversy

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady don't have Twitter accounts. This could be because they're not from the social networking era, but they might also realize that Twitter is a big source of controversy for professional athletes.

While social networking allows fans to get to know their favorite athletes on a more personal level, some things just shouldn't be tweeted to millions of followers. For example, Reggie Bush found himself in hot water after a tweet that he later referred to as a "joke" about the NFL lockout (via PFT):

"Everybody complaining about the lockout! Shoot I'm making the most of it!" he wrote. "Vacation, rest, relaxing, appearances here and there! I'm good!"

The problem with Twitter and other social networking sites is that they leave too much room for interpretation. Even though Tebow may have meant well, his tweets only added to the never-ending controversy surrounding him.

Until his production on the field increases, Tebow will only be hurt by this unwarranted hype. Twitter is just another distraction.