Tim Tebow last played in the NFL in 2012, but more than three years later his memory certainly still lingers.
According to a Public Policy Polling study, Tebow remains Americans’ fifth-favorite quarterback, behind Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Cam Newton.
Here’s the breakdown of how people answered when asked their favorite QB and given nine options:
1. Brady – 23%
2. Manning – 16%
3. Rodgers – 13%
4. Newton – 11%
5. Tebow – 9%
6. Russell Wilson – 6%
6. Eli Manning – 6%
6. Ben Roethlisberger – 6%
9. Drew Brees – 4%
Someone else/Don’t have a favorite – 9%
Now, it’s worth noting that Tebow’s inclusion on the list of choices biases the data a little. Some of that nine percent probably picked the guy whose name they’d heard and wouldn’t have chosen Tebow as their favorite if not prompted with that option.
But still, it’s pretty crazy that a replacement-level QB who hasn’t played in three-plus years is more popular than two-time Super Bowl champions Manning and Roethlisberger, golden boy Wilson, and New Orleans hero Brees.
Of course, Tebow also finds himself even closer to the top of the list of least favorite quarterbacks. When given the same options, here were the respondents’ most disliked QBs.
1. Brady – 29%
2. Tebow – 10%
3. Roethlisberger – 9%
3. Newton – 9%
5. Peyton Manning – 8%
6. Wilson – 6%
7. Eli Manning – 4%
8. Brees – 3%
9. Rodgers – 2%
Someone else/Don’t have a least favorite – 19%
So it looks like Brady is the most polarizing quarterback in football, but Tebow isn’t far behind… or at least wouldn’t be if he were actually still in football.
