Belichick to give Tebow shot with the Patriots

Tim Tebow will sign with the New England Patriots today and join the NFL team’s mandatory minicamp as a quarterback. The former Denver Broncos and New York Jets player will be reunited with Josh McDaniels, who was Denver's head coach when the Broncos selected Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. McDaniels now serves as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.

“I think [Tebow] is the kind of kid, where whatever you ask him to do, he’ll do,” New England head coach Bill Belichick said at the NFL owners meeting in March 2010, just weeks before Tebow was drafted by the Broncos. “I don’t know what a team will do with him, but I think he’s a real interesting player. He’s had a great career, obviously it speaks for itself.”

Now Belichick will try to figure out how Tebow can help New England. With Tom Brady locked in as the Patriots’ starting quarterback, Tebow is expected to compete with Ryan Mallett for the backup job.

In 2011, Tebow led the Broncos to the AFC West title and defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in a wildcard playoff game. The next week, Brady’s Patriots knocked the former Heisman Trophy winner and the Broncos out of the playoffs. The Jets traded draft picks to Denver in exchange for Tebow in March 2012 but rarely gave him an opportunity to play or a clear role on the team. Tebow attempted just eight passes while rushing for a total 102 yards. The Jets released Tebow in April after attempting to trade him.

Tebow has spent much of the 2013 offseason hunting fruitlessly for a job, and many people suspected his NFL career might be over. While there is no guarantee the former Florida Gator will land on New England’s 53-man roster when the Patriots open the season Sept. 5, the 25-year-old now has a chance to prove himself worthy of playing time in the NFL.