Vegas Already Taking Bets on Tim Tebow's Football Future

[sam harries]

Now that Tim Tebow is out of the New York Jets, the betting world is already attempting to forecast his next destination. Will he be back in the NFL as a quarterback or take on a different position? Will he go to the Canadian Football League and compete as a backup for a starting position? Or will he end up in the Arena League? Or even none of the above?

Tebow was just released on Monday, April 29, by the New York Jets organization after a season that did not live up to expectations. When Tebow was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Jets, he expected to be given a 50-50 shot to compete for the starting position with Mark Sanchez, the current starter who was coming off of a disappointing season where he turned the ball over 26 times.

However, it was clear from the start of the regular season that the Jets had no clear plan for using the quarterback who was coming off of a win the NFL playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers Jetbet. Tebow was used very sparingly, and it seemed that they brought him in just to sell more tickets, rather than compete for a starting spot on the roster.

He came in for a play or two, running straight up the middle for a couple yard gain, or was put on the punt protection team. It was not until the final games of the season when he was given an entire series to run. Soon after that, Sanchez was benched and Tebow was passed over for Greg McElroy, the third string quarterback. It was obvious at that point that Tebow's days in New York were limited.

The oddsmakers believe that Tebow will probably end up back in the NFL somewhere. The odds of him playing for either the AFC or the NFC are -110, and are co-favorites in the betting odds. No team has yet expressed interest in Tebow, but he may make a decent backup for an offense that is running more of the spread option, the NFL's latest popular "unstoppable" offense.

Next in line is the CFL, and Tebow's odds of playing there are listed at +400. The Montreal Alouettes are the most logical choice, as they own the CFL rights to Tebow and have expressed some interest in bringing him there. The Alouettes' current starting QB is Anthony Calvillo, but they are open to having Tim Tebow come in as a backup and potentially compete for the starting position.

Vegas thinks it just as likely that the former Jet does not play another down of professional football. The odds of him not playing again are +400. Unfortunately, the media circus that surrounds anything to do with Tebow may be too much of a risk for coaches and general managers to be willing to accept. They may all just pass on the baggage that accompanies Tebow wherever he goes Jetbet.

Finally, the oddsmakers have Tebow's line for playing in the Arena Football League at +1000, the longest shot of any of the betting odds. He has received an offer from the AFL team the Orlando Predators. Although this may not be likely, playing in the AFL may be Tebow's last ditch effort to stay at the quarterback position.