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The two most captivating quarterback stories of the past year have now collided in the biggest way – Peyton Manning will join the Denver Broncos, who will in turn look to trade cult hero Tim Tebow.
We all knew that John Elway was never Tebow’s biggest fan…and we all knew that Denver were one of the teams that was desperate to land Peyton Manning once it was announced that the Colts were severing ties with the future hall of famer.
But, who really thought that Peyton would choose Denver over some of the other options? The 49ers just acquired Mario Manningham and Randy Moss to go with Michael Crabtree and stud tight end Vernon Davis. They have a great running game and the best defence in the NFL.
Compare this with Denver whose running game was reliant on an aging Willis McGahee and who defensively got flayed by the Patriots in their most recent outing. Not to mention the receiver core features Demaryius Thomas and an assortment of extras from Friday Night Lights.
But – in Denver he will get a defensive minded head coach in John Fox, that will leave him alone and allow Manning to run his own offence, as he was accustomed to in Indianapolis. Jim Harbaugh is a much more hands on play-caller, and perhaps Manning did not want to enter a system in which he didn’t have complete control.
As much as I love Tebow, this was a move that any team would make in this position.
The fact that Denver’s odds of winning the Superbowl were just slashed from $100 to $18 overnight reflects this. No question that Peyton suddenly gives the Ravens, Steelers and Patriots a fourth team to be worried about going forward.
But let’s spare a thought for number 15 – what’s next for him?
The obvious choices are in his home state of Florida, with either the Dolphins or the Jaguars. But both of these teams have rookie head coaches, and do you really want to stake your professional future on an unorthodox player like Tebow? He can be great when he’s on, but we all saw how ineffective he can be.
That said, I believe the Jaguars would be a perfect fit for him.
A good defence, and MJD is arguably the best running back in the NFL. He suffered with eight or nine defenders in the box all of last year and still took home the rushing title. Not to mention that the Jags’ starting quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, is terrible.
Plus, the half-empty stadium in Jacksonville would suddenly be filled to the brim with rabid Gator fans, and filling that stadium is something they need to do, lest eventually face the prospect of being relocated to Los Angeles or a different location.
I could also see him head to a contender as the back-up quarterback.
It’s well known that Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick are both huge fans of Tebow, and Belichick has a history of being able to change players style and even positions (Julian Edelman is the most recent example) to better fit the team. You could be sure to see Tebow in at fullback at some point, throwing blocks for Tom Brady and catching passes out of the backfield.
So mercifully, the drama surrounding the Peyton Manning saga is finally over…the Broncos become legitimate Super Bowl contenders overnight, and the most popular player in the league will need to find a new home.
The next few weeks will be saturated with where Tim Tebow ends up.
Either way, I get to buy a new jersey – I’d love to see him backing up Flacco at the Ravens.
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