Tim Tebow is a man without a purpose as he sits on the quarterback depth chart for the New York Jets.
The team did not figure out a way to use him during the season, but with two new head coaching positions filled on Wednesday, does Tebow have an NFL future in either Chicago or Philadelphia?
The Eagles announced on Wednesday that they hired Chip Kelly away from Oregon to become their new head coach, while the Bears hired Marc Trestman away from the CFL to take over for Lovie Smith. Both coaches offer an interesting option for Tebow if he could make his way to either team. Tebow was spotted in Arizona recently working out, causing speculation to run rampant that he might be joining the Cardinals in the future.
Trestman comes from the CFL where things are run a bit differently, although he has many years of NFL experience. But the real reason why Tebow could be an option is due to the work Trestman did with the quarterback prior to the NFL draft in 2010.
Tebow was looked at as a third round draft pick before working with Trestman, who helped him with his arm motion before being taken in the first round by the Denver Broncos. Following the draft, Trestman was quoted praising Tebow and comparing him to his own quarterback.
According to USA Today: In Canada's National Post, Trestman compared Tebow to Trestman's staggeringly effective QB for the Montreal Alouettes, Anthony Calvillo:
"We have a quarterback who has a long delivery and he's one of the greatest quarterbacks and will finish as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time north or south of the border so he does it with a motion very similar to what Tim Tebow used in college. When you're an accurate passer and you have the intangibles that go along with that you can figure it out and make it work and whether Tim changed his motion or not I believed he would figure it out and I don't have any doubt that he'll be very, very successful," Trestman said.
Trestman also worked with current Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and will have a working relationship with him from the beginning. Even if Cutler remains the starter, Tebow could be brought in for certain situations to help change the pace or confuse the defense.
Trestman has an offensive mind, which will be change from Lovie Smith, who was more of a defensive coach. Trestman has years of NFL experience as a coach and has worked with quarterbacks like Rich Gannon and Bernie Kosar. He worked with the Dolphins in 2004 as well as with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Minnesota Vikings among others. He served as offensive coordinator with the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals and was a senior offensive assistant for Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay.
"He is thoughtful (person). He's not gonna scream at people. He'll get after people, but he's got a great stick and a carrot. That's what I think is great coaching: somebody who can understand the different gears and leverages that you have against players to make sure they're focused and ready to play football. So I don't know exactly why, but it's time. I thought it was time five to 10 years ago," Young said.
Trestman is one of the most interesting and innovative coaching candidates in recent memory. Teams usually only search around the NFL or dig into the college ranks to find a coach; not many search the Canadian Football League.
What makes Trestman intriguing for both Tebow and the Bears is that though is that the wide open style of the CFL (who has a wider and longer field than the NFL) could reap offensive benefits for the team.
The Bears were ranked 29th in passing yards last season despite having Jay cutler at quarterback and averaged 23 points per game, ranked 16th the league. Cutler had an up and down season, passing for 3,033 yards and 19 touchdowns with 14 interceptions in 15 games played. The team had solid production from running back Matt Forte, but he also was banged up during the year, leaving Chicago without a consistent running game.
Making 2012 more disappointing for the Bears, the team started the year 7-1, losing only to the Green Bay Packers on the road in Week 2. The team then lost five of the next six games, winning only against Minnesota 28-10 in Week 12. The Bears ended the year with two straight wins and won on the final day of the regular-season, but were left out of the playoffs after the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers to clinch the final Wild Card spot.
Another option for Tebow could be with the Philadelphia Eagles, who will employ a new offense now that Chip Kelly has arrived. Nick Foles is likely not the answer and the team is preparing to cut Michael Vick, leaving an opening for a starting quarterback.
The Eagles may not want to go all in on Tebow after what happened last season, but from his time in Denver, the quarterback showed he can make magic happen on the football field.
Kelly went 46-7 in four seasons at Oregon and is considered to be the top offensive mind in college football. Kelly has not coached in the NFL and many have wondered if his scheme can work in the pros. New England coach Bill Belichick met with Kelly last offseason and added some facets of his offense to the Patriots' system, which has paid off greatly as the team is ranked first in the league in scoring.
The Eagles started 3-1 this season, but lost the following eight games in a row, including a 31-6 defeat against the Washington Redskins. Vick suffered a concussion during the streak and was benched for rookie Nick Foles. He threw for 2,362 yards and 12 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in just 10 games played.
The Eagles lost 11 of the last 12 games of the season, winning 23-21 against Tampa Bay on Dec. 9 for the lone victory during that span. Philadelphia had issues on both sides of the ball this season and finished ranked 23rd in the league in rushing defense while allowing 27 points per game. The team also dealt with injures to Vick as well as other key players. LeSean McCoy dealt with a concussion and DeSean Jackson was forced to go on injured reserve after suffering a rib injury.
The toughest part would be bringing Tebow over to either team, considering both would have to trade with the Jets if he is not released. It was originally thought that Tebow would have a place in Jacksonville with the Jaguars, but their new general manager said that the team was not interested in bringing him in.
Kelly runs an unconventional offense at Oregon, meaning that Tebow could slide in and be effective. The Jets obviously did not see that in Tebow, but his running ability could help the Eagles as they try to rebuild from a 4-12 season.
During his time with the Broncos, Tebow was extremely successful in the fourth quarter and led a number of comeback victories, including a memorable game against the Miami Dolphins in which the team came back from a 15-point deficit in the final quarter.
Speculation about Tebow will run wild until the Jets hire a new general manager. No one in the NFL is entirely sure what the team will do with him, whether it be a trade or just keeping him as a backup who won't play. The way the Jets have operated the past two seasons, they will pick whatever option gets them the most headlines.
