Another prominent national media member bashed the Jacksonville Jaguars for signing Tim Tebow to a contract to play tight end.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. joined “Get Up” and denounced the latest addition to Jacksonville. This isn’t the first time he criticized Tebow for attempting to make the leap to the NFL.
He was adamant Tebow should’ve tried to make it in the NFL as an H-back when he entered the 2010 NFL draft. He told Tebow this during a radio appearance back then and the player responded and insisted he was a quarterback.
Kiper Jr. wished he became serious about the position 11 years ago. He believes, like many other media members, Jacksonville signed Tebow to bring attention to the franchise and he doesn’t have a chance to make the 53-man roster.
“They don’t need anything to get the attention of the fans to get the fans to come out and watch the Jaguars,” he said. “That’s why you have Trevor Lawrence… Why would you want to bring that traveling circus to your town?”
Kiper Jr. added Tebow will turn 34 before the next season and can’t be an asset to a football team.
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When Ian Rapport of NFL.com reported on May 10 that Jacksonville wanted to sign Tebow, I supported the idea. The Jaguars have failed to rank higher than 17th in attendance since 2006.
The addition of Tebow to the Columbia Fireflies roster, the low-A affiliate team for the New York Mets, boosted their attendance figures by 40%, according to the Charleston Post and Courier.
The Jaguars recent signing has already made an impact financially. Their team store placed his jersey on the front page with their first-round picks Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne. The five-highest selling jerseys on NFLshop.com all belonged to Tebow products, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
However, ESPN’s Jeff Darlington tweeted on May 11 that there were Jacksonville staffers and players who didn’t want to see the franchise add him.
My opinion shifted because it’s critical for first-year Jacksonville coach Urban Meyer to gain the trust and confidence of his organization. If the Jaguars went through with the decision, I believed it would hinder Meyer’s success with his coaching gig.
Even with the 2021 No. 1 pick in town, the national media’s eyes will stay locked on Jacksonville to see if the hometown legend can work some more Tebow magic to make the Jaguars 53-man roster.
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