Tebow's lament

After a disappointing season of false promises and myopic misuse in New York, Tim Tebow will likely be searching for new employment in the spring, and at the moment his options to continue playing professional football appear limited.

Reportedly, the Jets will either trade or release Tebow once the NFL offseason officially begins, and questions, rumors and suppositions of where he might play next are running as wild as Rex Ryan boasted Tebow would this season. Jacksonville was once considered the assumed destination for Tebow, either by trade or free agent signing, but that appears unlikely based on comments by new Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell. At this point, sadly, it would be shocking to see any NFL offer the Jets any compensation to acquire Tebow.

If When Tebow is released, a team will take a chance and sign him, despite any current speculation to the contrary. And the intended role to which a team sings Tebow, and to which Tebow signs, will likely dictate the future of his NFL career far beyond the next season.

Tim Tebow wants to be a starting quarterback in the NFL, and with good reason given the results he produced last year in Denver. If a team without an answer to their quarterback situation has interest in signing him, such as Arizona, Cleveland, Kansas City or even Philadelphia, Tebow could compete for a starting job in the NFL in 2013. Or if Tebow is willing to switch positions - to play fullback, H-back or a hybrid tight end position - NFL interest in him will soar.

Yet, the best possible scenario for Tebow may be to remain a backup quarterback and take the Steve Young route - sit behind an elite quarterback, out of the spotlight, while developing his skills and knowledge of the pro passing game. The toxicity of his fame will dissuade many teams from considering his services, but behind a bright enough star*, Tebow can let Tebowmania run its course while biding his time until an opportunity to start again in the NFL presents itself. If he is serious about being an NFL quarterback, this may be his best bet.

*The ideal situation is, of course, New England - reunite Tebow with the coach who drafted him and allow him to watch and learn from Tom Brady. Pittsburgh is also an intriguing destination - at his best, Tebow does a lot of what Roethlisberger does at his best, yet there's really no plausible questioning that Ben should start over Tebow. Green Bay, New Orleans, or even walking down the hall to the Giants' locker room are also excellent options.

Conversely, Tebow needs to avoid situations similar to that which he found himself this season - he must avoid any situation in which the media fascination with his popularity will overshadow the team's success. Having Tebow back up Mark Sanchez didn't work - though not to any fault of Tebow or even much fault of Sanchez. No team with a quarterback whose performance or popularity/approval with the fans should consider Tebow, and it's in his best interest to dismiss such situations as well.

Tim Tebow is a unique football talent with a unique following. He has incredible passion and has found ways to succeed in the face of doubters his entire football career. I can't help but expect he'll find a way again.