Every report trickling out this offseason suggests Tim Tebow is done in the NFL. In addition to Tebow's throwing mechanics and the media circus that follows him, a learning disability might also be preventing Tebow from excelling in the NFL, ESPN reports.
Tebow's throwing mechanics are well documented. While he's an athletic quarterback, his accuracy is lacking.
"He's not a quarterback. When you look at his run two years ago, when you watch the tape and break it down, he wasn't really doing anything that impressive," an NFC scout told ESPN The Magazine. "He's a tough guy, a great leader, a great person. But he isn't a good enough quarterback to have all the distractions that come with him."
The distractions, of course, are the die-hard Tebow fans that scream for him to start and the media frenzy that follows his every move.
"...In the minds of GMs, Tebow's potential payoff would never outweigh the billboards, the parking lots full of satellite trucks, the endless QB controversies or any of the other distractions and internal conflicts he brings with him," ESPN's David Fleming wrote.
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, who offered support for Tebow this week, commented on why teams might avoid Tebow.
"There's no going halfway with Tebow anymore," Dungy said. "You either gotta sell out and give him the keys to your team or stay away. Because, unfortunately, there's too much attention for him to be a regular, developing backup like everyone else.
...If he's getting blackballed, it's because backup quarterbacks are not supposed to be the focus, and if Tim's on your team, he's the sole focus."
ESPN's article also revealed another, previously underreported flaw in Tebow's game: a learning disability. Tebow has traditionally struggled with the cognitive side of playing quarterback in the NFL. Learning the playbook, progressing through his reads on the field and making quick-thinking audibles haven't come naturally.
Tebow is smart — he graduated with a 3.7 GPA from Florida. But, as a kid, he was diagnosed with dyslexia, a learning disability affecting how he reads and processes information. The article suggests that it could play a part in Tebow's struggles to learn playbooks and make reads on the field.
Flawed throwing mechanics, an inability to make the quick game-time decisions and a following circus are Tebow's biggest hindrances to landing a job in the NFL. He needs time to mature as a quarterback but, with the media watching his every move, he might never get that chance in the NFL.
