Tim Tebow Bruised Ribs: Why They're a Big Concern for Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Tim Tebow has many worried and concerned about his ribs that got bruised on his first NFL touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals one week ago.

Tebow took a snap from shotgun and ran toward the endzone while getting sandwiched by two Bengals defenders just beyond the goal line.

He did not play in Saturday night's loss to the Detroit Lions due to his ribs still being sore and the Broncos' medical staff playing things safe by taking the precaution to not have Tebow play.

Reports from the Broncos say Tebow will be back on the field in the third game of the preseason when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Denver on Sunday August 29 in prime time.

Running the ball is not a new thing for Tebow, since he did not often and was very successful in doing so while playing college ball in Florida, but that was when he was as big or bigger than many of the defenders that were pursuing him.

See five questions raised from Tebow's rib injury

Now in the NFL, Tebow's 6'3" and 245-pound frame is still rather large for quarterback standards, but he is dwarfed by most defensive linemen and many linebackers too.

With this being said, Tebow needs to be more cautious when running with the ball and looking for contact because that's the last thing the Broncos want for their precious first-round pick.

There are also whispers that some NFL defensive players are looking to hit Tebow as hard as they can possibly hit him due to the high status of his celebrity that he has already attained due to his impressive college performances.

One of those defensive players includes Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney who told the media that he wants to hit Tebow really bad when he faces him on the gridiron.

Both Tebow and Broncos coaches need to take notice and be aware that there may be a few who are looking to really hit Tebow and hit him hard.

Even though Tebow is a fierce competitor and will sacrifice his body for the good of the team, he also needs to remember that it is better to have him healthy and able to play over injured and on the Injured Reserve list.

Hopefully, Tebow has already gotten this message because the pro game is much faster and the players are much bigger, so the pain received will be a bit more than Tebow is used to receiving.