Tim Tebow Must Change Positions to Stay in NFL

Reality is hard to swallow. For Tim Tebow, reality is the enemy. The 25-year-old Tebow boasts all the necessary attributes to have a bright future in the National Football League—but not as a quarterback.

Up against the wall, it’s time for Tebow to change positions, or encounter further scrutiny while trying to become something he will never be.

The facts are simple. Tebow is a winner. He was the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy in 2007. Moreover, he won two National Championships while at Florida.

But that was in college. This is the NFL—a league where results define fame. 

Tebow lacks the necessary skill set to become a reliable quarterback in this league.

Denver, surprisingly, gambled by drafting Tebow 25th overall in the 2010 draft. His first season was anything but encouraging. The Broncos finished dead last in the AFC West Division at 4-12.

His sophomore go-round with Denver was the opposite of his first. The Broncos won the West with a bleak 8-8 mark in arguably the weakest division in the NFL. Despite a mediocre regular season, Tebow steered the Broncos to a miraculous upset over the 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card game on the heels of an 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime.

The celebration didn’t last long.

With a snap of a finger, Denver signed then free agent and future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and shipped Tebow along with a 2012 seventh-round draft pick to the New York Jets.

The rest is history.

Tebow’s time in the Big Apple has become a tragic novel with enough twists and turns to have Hollywood jumping at the bit. Tebow never started a game, and served as backup to the incumbent Mark Sanchez.

With the entire offseason to fathom his next move, Tebow should heavily consider switching to running back or tight end—two positions that suit him better than his current one.

Tebow has all the tools needed to be a bruising ball-carrier. At 6’3’’, 236 pounds, Tebow boasts enough power to punish every would-be tackler that challenges him at the line of scrimmage. He could serve as a red-zone threat for the Jets or any NFL team. He could be a versatile back capable of lining up on any down, in any formation and any given situation.

We’ve seen what Tebow can do in the backfield. He’s a physical runner, capable of creating mismatches against any defense with the ball in his hands. He can break tackles. He can extend plays. He can get those extra tough yards and move the chains. He can play a vital role in any offense.

If not the backfield, Tebow could be a downfield target capable of making big-time catches at the most opportune times. His frame and strength certainly fit the part. Though his hands remain a mystery, Tebow knows the playbook. He understands the formations, progressions and assignments. He’s intelligent, which would be to his own benefit.

But those are just hypothetical roles—ones Tebow could certainly excel in.  

As of now, Tebow technically still has a job with the Jets. But let’s face it. The likelihood of Tebow emerging as the Jets' starting quarterback is slim to none.

It’s time for Tebow to smell the roses and become open-minded about changing positions. If not, then the heralded celebrity will face a never-ending downward spiral for the remainder of his career.