If Tim Tebow is the measuring stick, then Johnny Manziel's football career may already have peaked.
According to research conducted by USA Today, Tebow arguably is the most successful Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in the NFL since 1987.
USA Today reported that since 1987, 16 quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy. Of the 16, only one has won a playoff game in the NFL.
Tebow.
The breakdown of the list is as follows, according to USA Today.
Three never took a snap in the NFL. Charlie Ward chose and NBA career instead and played 12 years in the league. Eric Crouch and Jason White didn't make an NFL roster; Crouch even tried playing safety but could not latch on with the St. Louis Rams.
Four have played in the NFL but never went to the postseason: Gino Torretta, Danny Wuerffel, Sam Bradford and Cam Newton.
Seven of the 16 Heisman quarterbacks reached the NFL playoffs. Three were on teams that won in the playoffs but were not the starting quarterback - Andre Ware, Chris Weinke and Troy Smith. Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Robert Griffin III all took their respective franchises to the playoffs, but none of them has won a playoff game.
Palmer lost twice with the Cincinnati Bengals, in 2006 and 2010.
That leaves Tebow as the only Heisman Trophy winner of that group to win a playoff game, when he led the Broncos to a stunning, overtime upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 playoffs (the game was on Jan. 8, 2012).
That leaves Tim Tebow - the only quarterback who has won a Heisman since 1987 and gone on to win a playoff game as a starter in the NFL. Tebow's win came when the Broncos beat the Steelers on Jan. 8, 2012. He was 10-of-21 for 316 yards, including an 80-yard bomb on the first play of overtime to beat the defending AFC champs.
Manziel is the 16th member of the class and still - for now - has eligibility remaining.
Griffin, Bradford and Newton can change the Heisman curse, but as of today, Tebow is the only Heisman QB to have tasted a playoff win.
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