Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow have said all the right things during the early days of their training camp minidrama.
During a Thursday conversation with Woody Paige of the Denver Post, Tebow let some of his frustration show for the first time.
“My dream, since I was a young boy, of being a starting quarterback in the NFL seemed to be coming true,” Tebow said. “Then, I felt like it was grabbed back away. . .”
Tebow didn’t finish his thought. He finished his milk. (Really.)
It sounds like he’s starting to realize he won’t be handed the starting gig this year; he has to earn it. He hasn’t been able to do that on the practice field.
Tebow acknowledged the change in Orton’s trade status affected him early. And he hears the critics.
“I’m trying to insulate myself from what people in the media are saying, but I’ve seen some of it, and it hurts because it’s coming from people who haven’t seen me practice, haven’t seen me play, haven’t seen what I can do. I did an interview the other day with someone on the NFL Network who said last year I’d never play a down in the NFL. He was wrong,” Tebow said.
No one expects Tebow to open the season as the starter at this point, but a strong preseason would help get him on the field sooner than later. He has to embrace the challenge of being the underdog again in Denver without coming off like he’s complaining, which his teammates may not love to hear.
Tebow was never supposed to be a plug and play starter. Taking the long view, it’s not a surprise that a coaching change has set him back for now.