Tebow and the Nuclear Option

As NFL teams start to show their hands on their QB plans for 2013, viable paths to a starting job for Tebow are narrowing. The Eagles are keeping Vick, and KC is rumored to have a deal in place for Alex Smith. AZ head coach Bruce Arians recently disparaged the read option and running QBs. The Jags have ruled out Tebow by name. Buffalo appears to be leaning towards a competition between Fitzpatrick and Tarvaris Jackson. Of teams considered to be in need of a new starter, only the Browns are still on the table.
The consensus fallback position for Tebow is backup for an established starter, preferably in a spread option system. While this keeps Tebow in the league as a QB, it may not be the approach most conducive to his goal to be a starting QB.
There are many QBs who can be happy and productive sitting the bench and holding a clipboard for a few million bucks a year. Tebow is not one of them. It will drive him crazy, and history shows it will drive those around him crazy. A year as backup on the Jets nearly wrecked Tebow's career and image. The last thing he needs is another year in a similar situation. Tebow is a warrior and a natural leader, and those qualities do not lend themselves to being a good backup. Competition is like air to Tim, and he will suffocate without it.
Tim's status as a non-veteran constrains his control over where he winds up. Under the terms of the CBA, players with less than 4 seasons in the league do not become free agents when released. They go to the waiver wire instead. The difference is that they do not pick a team; the teams pick them. If more than one team claims a player on waivers, he goes to the team with the lowest standing from the previous season. Only if all teams decline to claim a player does he become a free agent.
There is considerable risk in the waiver process for Tim. He could easily go to a team with no intention of letting him compete at QB. He could go to a team that only wants him as a gadget player, or in the worst case a team could grab him with the intention of forcing him to change positions and become an FB or TE.
Some have suggested the CFL as an option. That would be a terrible mistake. While a few QBs have resurrected their careers in Canada over the years, many more have not. The CFL is not seen as a viable feeder league for the NFL, and even the most successful QBs there usually do not return to the NFL. It would be a step backwards for Tebow, with an uphill battle to return. Were he to struggle at all as a passer in the CFL, it would be fatal to his NFL prospects.
There is one more path Tebow should consider. It carries great risk, but the reward is potentially great as well. In recognition of the danger of blowing up Tim's career if it fails, let's call it the Nuclear Option: Tim Tebow should decline to sign with any team where he cannot compete to start at QB.

Opening Post

The purpose of this blog is to explore and discuss the life of the over-40 competitive athlete. It is dedicated to the spirit of those who refuse to accept the inevitable and age gracefully. If you defiantly force your body to compete with younger athletes when you ought to be watching from the sidelines, this blog is for you. We will cover all topics of interest to the over-40 athlete: training, competition, nutrition, rest and recovery, injuries, psychology, drugs, equipment, and anything else that seems relevant. If you have something you would like to discuss, let me know and I'll write something about it. Even better, send me an article and I'll post it.