At one point in his career, Tim Tebow was a quarterback that young players aspired to be like. His throwing mechanics and playing style were unorthodox, but Tebow won two national championships in college and led the Denver Broncos on an improbable playoff run in his first full season as an NFL starting quarterback. Now, he’s unemployed.
Oakland Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor has spent some time working with quarterback guru Tom House recently and is planning to work with him again during the bye week. House also worked with Tebow, and many say he had helped the former Florida Gator’s mechanics at one point. The belief is that Tebow reverted to his old form when the pressure was on. Pryor does not want to make the same mistake.
Pryor said he has spoken with House about what happened to Tebow.
“He said [Tebow] was ready to go after working with him,” Pryor told ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez. “Tebow looked great, he was throwing the ball great, wasn’t missing anything. Then they said he went to [training] camp, and when he went back, he reverted back to himself because [that’s] when the bullets are flying at you.
“I hope when I get the rushers, people are rushing me, I hope I don’t go back to the old thing.”
And just like that, Tebow has become an example of what not to do for NFL quarterbacks. A number of Jacksonville Jaguars fans have tried to rally their team to sign Tebow, but even the worst team in the league is not interested. As for Pryor, he has completed 72.7% of his passes when inside the pocket — the fourth-best percentage in the NFL.
“I’m very proud of that,” he said. “I’m very locked in. That’s definitely something I’m proud of. It’s a nonstop progression. It doesn’t really catch me by surprise that it’s happening.”
Pryor is capable of making plays with his legs, which is something Tebow could also do. The problem with Tebow is he never got the passing down. It’s nearly impossible to succeed in the NFL without it. Pryor is hoping he can become a true dual-threat.
