Welcome to Canada

Tim Tebow has been cut by the New York Jets, ending (hopefully) what has been one of the biggest debacles in the NFL in recent memory. Tebow has, largely undeservedly, dominated the headlines and newspapers since he came into the league. Whether it's been for his "performance" on the field, his religious views on and off the field, or the rampant speculation surrounding whether or not he can play, Tebow has been on the minds of most people in football circles. With the move today, which was a certainty after the Jets drafted Geno Smith in the second round, hopefully all this can come to an end.

Tebow isn't very good. Anyone who watches the film honestly can see that. In his short career he managed to complete only 48% of his passes in a league where anything under 60% is bad. He threw for 17 touchdowns total while accounting for 16 turnovers (9 interceptions and 7 fumbles). But it's largely not his fault, his career was doomed almost from the beginning. The Denver Broncos made a huge mistake taking Tebow in the first round. He was not a first round prospect, and to heap that amount of pressure on a kid who couldn't live up to the expectations was unfair. Tebow was a GREAT college player, but anyone who watched him knew that his talents didn't translate well to the NFL, at least not at the quarterback position. John Elway thought he could fix Tebow, and I applaud him for trying, but the way he went about it was terrible for Tebow's career. He did Tebow no favors taking him in the first round, then at the first available opportunity bailed on the kid.

The Broncos aren't the only franchise who doomed this kid though. The Jets are equally, if not more, at fault for the demise of Tebow. Bringing the media circus that follows Tebow into the media circus that is New York City is a recipe for disaster, and I have to think that they knew that coming into the situation. Not only did they bring a young kid into a terrible situation, they gave up on him nearly immediately after bringing him into camp. They didn't even give him a chance to develop. They saw him in practice a couple of times and said "Well, how about this: You're going to run left, run right, run up the middle, or hand the ball off." No one took the time to sit down with him and try to develop him. No one put him into games and give him an opportunity to learn the offense and learn from his mistakes. At least in Denver, Tebow saw the field. In his one season with the Jets, Tebow threw precisely eight passes, completing six of them. Eight passes in a 16 game season. Tebow was listed as the backup to Mark Sanchez, yet when it came time to sit Sanchez down and bail on him, was it Tebow who was given the nod? No, it was third string quarterback Greg McElroy. If you're going to bring a kid into camp, shouldn't you at least give him a CHANCE to perform?

So, now the question has to be asked, what opportunities are left for Tebow? In my opinion, Tebow better prepare himself for a sign that says "Welcome to Canada", because the CFL is his best option. No NFL team is going to give him a chance to be a quarterback, something he is dead-set on being. If he's serious about it, he'll go to Canada, fix the mechanical issues that have plagued his young career, and try out for teams in 3-5 years.