Chuck Norris has written an article about how great Tim Tebow is.  I hate to say it, but beneath all the hyperbole and cliches about “clutchness”, he has something of a point, even if he has a much higher opinion of Tebow than I do.  I don’t think he’ll ever be a really great player, but he deserves more of a chance than he’s getting.  I wish Buffalo had signed him and spent their first round pick on a defensive player instead.

I really can’t figure out the weird reluctance by teams to take Tebow.  It’s not that Tebow doesn’t have his flaws, but rather that teams are willing to gamble so much more to get potentially so much less.  E.J. Manuel may end up being the next J.P. Losman, whereas Tebow at least has won a playoff game, which is more than can be said for Rob Johnson, whom Buffalo once anointed their starter for no apparent reason, or Ryan Fitzpatrick, or any of the other placeholders they’ve had these past thirteen years.

It’s not just Buffalo, though; nobody wants Tebow.  If teams were generally very conservative, this might make sense, but they aren’t.  They gamble on worse odds all the time. Heck, Geno Smith, who signaled the end for Tebow time in New York, has “bust” written all over him in giant, neon green letters.   (B! U! S! T! Bust! Bust! Bust!)

People keep passing this off by saying “well, teams don’t want the attention he brings.” Of course they do!  They’re pro football teams! The reason they exist is to get attention, and thus money.  “Well, Tebow has this zealous fan base, led by people like Chuck Norris,” you say.  Yeah, he does.  So what? All pro football teams aim to fill their stadia with zealous fanbases each week, and it doesn’t seem to bother them then.

Tebow’s fans say he’s being discriminated against due to his religion.  Seems unlikely.  Most football players are Christians.  Kurt Warner was an outspoken Christian, like Tebow, and teams were quite willing to give him a chance, even when his play was very inconsistent.

So, we come inevitably back to his bad mechanics.  Well, no one can deny his throwing motion is terrible.  But, even so, the Pittsburgh defense could not stop him in a playoff game.    It may be bad, but it was good enough to win that day.

Can Tebow be a championship-winning quarterback?  No; it’s very unlikely, unless he travels back in time and signs with the ’85 Bears.  But can he get a team into the playoffs?  Yes–he already has done it once. Can he make a team relevant again?  Yes, even if he plays poorly, he will still attract attention.  That’s why perennially bad teams, like Buffalo, Cleveland and, as Norris mentioned, Jacksonville would be wise to get him.