Jets quarterback Tim Tebow. / Bill Kostroun, AP

"We'll see what happens," Rex Ryan said Wednesday about Tim Tebow's future with the New York Jets.

Given Tebow's lack of playing time and the fact that he was passed over by third-string quarterback Greg McElroy for Sunday's start, it's a safe bet that what happens involves Timmy and the Jets parting ways. But where would he end up? Is it possible Tebow would take his talents north to the Canadian Football League?

Some have analyzed the move to the CFL as if it's a legitimate option, but others are quickly dismissive.

Andrew Buckholtz of the CFL blog 55-Yard Line has an interesting take:


Of course, it's highly unlikely Tebow would come north anyway. There's so much bizarre, ESPN-fueled hype about him (which has been parodied in literature and musicals) that it's quite probable some other NFL team will pick him up if New York lets him go. Even if they don't, another U.S. based league like the UFL or the AFL will make a run at him and offer him way more money (and a chance to start) than the CFL could. His game might be a better fit in those leagues, too; it certainly isn't suited for the CFL. That's why it's so bizarre that teams keep putting him on a negotiation list. Tebow likely isn't coming north, and he wouldn't be any good as a quarterback if he did.

Most of it makes sense, but I can't say I agree with the last part -- if Adrian McPherson can start in the CFL, then surely Tim Tebow could too -- nor is it possible Tebow would go to the UFL or AFL before the CFL. The first two are rock bottom. The CFL is on the path to rock bottom. Tebow is struggling, but he's not there yet.

This can be chalked up as a lost season. It's almost inconceivable that Tebow was backing up a quarterback who played as awful as Mark Sanchez and couldn't see any legitimate playing time. Say what you will about Tebow and his quarterbacking talents (or lack thereof), the way the Jets handled him is surprising. It's like they were cutting their nose to spite their face.

But maybe the Jets not starting Tebow is the best thing to happen to his career. Let's say the critics are right: Tebow's success in Denver was a mirage, and he'll never make an impact on an NFL roster. If he started this year in New York and failed, wouldn't most have been forced to come to that conclusion? As it is, the only additional knock on Tebow is that a dysfunctional franchise couldn't find a place for him. He still has the aura of being a possible NFL success. Since he didn't prove otherwise this season, the dream can live on.

As long as Tebow doesn't get on the field and prove otherwise, there's the hope that he'll find greatness. It's a play off the old saying, "better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Going to the CFL removes all doubt.


Copyright 2015

Read the original story: Could Tim Tebow end up in the CFL?

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