The most decorated college football player of the last decade, perhaps in the history of the game at the collegiate level, has officially agreed to his first NFL contract.
Tim Tebow, the Broncos' second first round pick agreed to a five year contract on Thursday, according to the team's official site. The deal is reportedly worth $33 million over that time frame with $8.7 million guaranteed per Michael Lombardi. Tebow was the 25th selection in April's draft after a four year career at Florida in which he became one of the most popular and successful male athletes in the entire world.
Tebow's acquisition means the Broncos have only one draft pick left unsigned, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. At last word, Thomas' deal was making great progress and there is a chance it could also be finalized Thursday.
**UPDATE**Tebow deal reportedly worth $11.25 million over five years, but can escalade to $33 million with specific incentives and accomplishments.
What can be said of Tim Tebow that has not already been said?
Tebow is an extremely hard working player who has become a sports icon in Denver without even putting on a set of pads yet (which he will do on Sunday). The Broncos used three draft picks (2nd, 3rd, and 4th rounders) to trade back into the first round of the draft to select Tebow, the former Florida star.
Josh McDaniels has raved about Tebow, but has made it clear that Tebow has a long way to go, which is understandable.
Scouts have never questioned Tebow's work ethic, toughness, ability to create something out of nothing, or his arm strength. The major concern for Tebow has been his slow release, which by all accounts has been worked on all offseason long and now appears much better than before. Tebow has also been doing a lot of work this offseason to improve his footwork, which was another area he struggled with.
Tebow impressed all scouts with a fantastic display of athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and rumors began to fly of a darkhorse team that would not let Tebow escape the first round.
The Broncos manipulated the draft boards and managed to get both of their top two targets at the bottom half of the round while collecting additional later picks.
Upon being drafted, Tim Tebow jerseys flew off the racks and set numerous records. Someone even invented a completely new brand entirely dedicated to Bronco and Florida Gator fans.
Aside from his insane popularity, the Broncos obviously expect Tebow, the 25th pick in the draft, to have a huge impact on this team sooner rather than later.