All those fantasies of Tim Tebow playing halfback, kick returner, tight end and waterboy in New England? They may be for naught.
Ed Werder of ESPN reports that the Patriots intend to have Tebow practice only at quarterback. He will attend quarterback meetings and approach the New England system in that mindset to avoid the “chaos” of the past two years, Werder says. Adam Schefter of ESPN also said Tebow will play quarterback.
While Tebow was a quarterback in his most successful time in the NFL, in Denver, he also ran a variety of sets that had him rushing the ball and changing up the offense. By the time he got to New York in his third year, the Jets had plans to use him not only in the wildcat but also in punt protection and on ill-fated attempts at catching passes.
Many have speculated that Patriots coach Bill Belichick plans to use Tebow as a tight end or running back, specifically in the option plays the Patriots like to run to pick up easy yards on mismatches. This report, however, supports another theory: that Tebow is being brought in strictly to develop in the position of his preference, with playing time unlikely as he learns.
