That should be solid evidence that he’s not an NFL-caliber quarterback. Then again, the definition of that term is a little loose these days; teams are struggling to find starters, and for backups they’re starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Tebow’s defenders have often said, “You’re telling me he’s worse than (Player X)?’’ — and even with Tebow in the broadcast booth, the answer’s not that obvious.
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It’s least-obvious for these five that played in 2014, and could be argued belong in the NFL less than Tebow.
Johnny Manziel, Browns
It’s worth commending Manziel for going into rehab and trying to get a grasp of what he must do to be a better person and player. And, of course, he was a rookie last year, albeit a first-round pick. Still, he was unfathomably bad in his first NFL start last December: 10 for 18, 80 yards, two interceptions, three sacks, 13 yards rushing in a 30-0 loss at home to the Bengals. “Not ready” gives him too much credit. He can hardly be worse this season.
Brandon Weeden, Cowboys
Another former first-round pick, also by the Browns. After losing his job there, he landed in Dallas as Tony Romo injury insurance, of all things. He was called upon at home against the Cardinals in early November. Gifted a 7-0 lead on a pick-six by Carson Palmer, he then led the offense to, essentially, nothing the rest of the day, and had Dez Bryant without a reception until after the two-minute warning. Weeden was 18 for 33 for 183 yards, two interceptions and a meaningless touchdown with a minute left in a 28-17 loss. He threw two passes the rest of the season.
Ryan Lindley, Cardinals
Lindley started a playoff game for Arizona. He led his team to the fewest offensive yards in NFL postseason history, 78 in a loss at Carolina. He threw for 82 yards and two interceptions and was sacked four times. It’s not his fault; he was the third-stringer, and the only other option was rookie Logan Thomas. But if ever the Tebow crowd had a poster boy for their argument, Lindley was it.
Kirk Cousins, Redskins
Cousins’ elevation in Week 2 to the starting job, after another Robert Griffin III injury, was greeted with joy by many in Washington. Then he started actually playing … and throwing interceptions, including two three-interception fourth quarters, against the Giants and Cardinals. By the time he was mercifully pulled at halftime against the Titans in Week 7 after another inexplicable pick, he was leading the league in interceptions with nine, even though he was in the middle of his fifth start.
Blaine Gabbert, 49ers
Is it fair to put Gabbert — a flop as a first-rounder in Jacksonville and a backup all year last season in San Francisco — on this list? Yes, considering what a terrible year, by pretty much any measure, Colin Kaepernick turned in. Yet no matter how much Kaepernick struggled, and no matter how much the playoffs and Jim Harbaugh’s job security slipped away week by week, Gabbert never played, except for the final series in the blowout in Denver in October, the night Peyton Manning broke the career touchdown record. Tebow likely could have mopped up in garbage time in one game as well as anyone.
