Category: Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow thanks retiring former teammate Demaryius Thomas

Tebow and Thomas were both drafted in the first round by the Broncos in 2010.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Tim Tebow had positive words to say about his former teammate with the Denver Broncos, receiver Demaryius Thomas. On Monday, Thomas announced that he would be retiring from the NFL. He was a free agent and had last appeared in a game with the New York Jets during the 2019 season.

In a video posted by the team’s official Twitter account, Tebow spoke about Thomas and their relationship while the pair played together in Denver from 2010-11. The two were both drafted in the first round by the Broncos in 2010.

“I just want to say congratulations on an amazing career, every day I enjoyed practicing with you, playing with you, being your teammate, being your brother,” Tebow said. “…you’re someone I always trusted, looked up to, loved playing with.

“I’m so proud of you, everything you’ve accomplished, your hard work, your dedication, your passion to the game, but also the type of person you were… you made other people’s lives better because they were in your presence.”

Perhaps the most notable moment of both players’ professional careers came in the Broncos’ wild card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers when Tebow completed a deep, game-winning touchdown pass to Thomas to stun the Steelers in overtime.

Not many likely would have thought Tebow would outlast Thomas in the NFL (technically), but the former will look to revitalize his career by becoming a pass-catcher himself with the Jaguars.

Urban Meyer on Tim Tebow’s odds of making the team: ‘He’s one of 90’

Tebow will have to prove a lot if he’s going to end his nine-year hiatus from a 53-man roster.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Tim Tebow, a former NFL quarterback and professional baseball player who was brought in this offseason to compete for a roster spot, has an uphill battle to make the team. But many expect he may be able to do it, owing to his relationship with Jacksonville coach Urban Meyer, who coached him in college at Florida.

In an interview with USA TODAY, the first-time head coach was candid about the 33-year-old’s chances of making the final roster. He said the concept of having to cut players has been an adjustment to what he’s been used to.

“That’s new to me. That’s the reality to the NFL, that you have 90 players,” Meyer said. “So to me, he’s one of 90. What’s the difference between him and the other 40 guys trying to make the team? To me, it’s all the same.”

Meyer wouldn’t go into detail about how Tebow’s grasping the position or where he stands among the current group, but he did elaborate about the difficulty of having to make permanent personnel decisions during the offseason.

“The reality is that a good percentage of your roster is going to get cut or transitioned out, which to me, that’s completely new. In college, you’d have your 85, 95 guys and you fit them in and you put the puzzle together. It’s much different here.”

The Jaguars certainly need tight end help, as returning No. 2 tight end James O’Shaughnessy is the most experienced of the bunch. That opens a door for Tebow to compete for a roster spot, but he’ll have to demonstrate an aptitude for his new position on the field first. Tebow will have to prove a lot if he’s going to end his nine-year hiatus from a 53-man roster.

George Kittle explains Tim Tebow’s Tight End University snub

George Kittle said there weren’t enough spots to invite new Jaguar Tim Tebow to his “Tight End University” event.

Newly signed Jaguars tight end Tim Tebow is still learning the ropes at his new position, but he won’t have the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the league at the Tight End University event in Nashville, Tennessee.

The event, which is run by San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle and retired NFL tight end Greg Olsen, is intended as an opportunity for the best tight ends around the league to train and share information. But Tebow was not one of the 50-plus players to receive an invite.

In an appearance on the podcast “Pardon My Take,” Kittle and Olsen explained Tebow’s omission.

“So, nothing against Tim Tebow, but I found it hard to invite — I wish nothing but the best for Tim Tebow, and I hope he has a fantastic season playing tight end — but it’s hard for me not to invite a backup tight end on, let’s say the New York Giants, as opposed to inviting a guy who just started playing the tight end position because we do have limited spots,” Kittle said, according to quotes transcribed by David Bonilla of 49erswebzone.com. “I wish I could make it so every NFL tight end can come, (so) it’s accessible to everybody. But what we tried to do this year, we wanted to pay for everything for all the tight ends that come to kind of make it a special event for all tight ends.”

Kittle explained that there wasn’t enough room to invite Tebow. After all, not every backup tight end in the league received an invitation to the event, so it would be hard to justify extending one to a player who just started playing the position.

“We booked up an entire hotel,” he said. “They’re completely out of rooms. We have every room taken. We blocked off a certain amount of rooms, so we’re completely out of rooms. We thought we were going to get like 20 guys, and the next thing I know, we have 47 confirmed as of last week, and I think we just got past 50. Just, wow, that’s a lot of guys.”

Tebow was considered a longshot player to make the roster when he was signed, but this is a Jacksonville team that still desperately needs help at tight end. James O’Shaughnessy likely projects as the top option, but he had just 28 catches last year. Free-agent addition Chris Manhertz and fifth-round pick Luke Farrell are primarily blocking tight ends, while Tyler Davis, a sixth-round pick in 2020, only saw two targets and no catches as a rookie.

The path to making the roster, and potentially having an impact on the field, is there for Tebow. But the 33-year-old hasn’t been on a 53-man NFL roster since 2012, and an invite to TEU could’ve helped him findamentally.

Olsen said that if Tebow were to make a roster and “officially” become a tight end, that they would love to have him at the event.

“If he’s on a roster this year, and he plays tight end, we would love to have him, we would love to work with him,” he said. “Once he’s officially a tight end, we would love to work with him.”

It seems if Tebow wants to be a part of this exclusive group in the future, he’ll need to wait and prove it on the field first.

Ian Rapoport discusses Tim Tebow’s chances of making the team, potential role

Though it was assumed Tim Tebow was a long shot to make the Jags’ final roster, Ian Rapoport seems to think he has a pretty good chance.

Of all the new additions to Jacksonville’s roster this offseason, the one that seems to be capturing the league’s attention the most is a fifth-string tight end who hasn’t been on an active NFL roster since 2012.

Most of the national media has treated Tim Tebow like a sideshow since he arrived at Jags camp, but the 33-year-old former professional baseball player has quietly gotten to work. In an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that from what he’s heard, Tebow’s chances of making the team are fairly high.

“Is he going to make the team?” Rapoport said.”I was told 50/50. But he’s got the head coach in his corner, he’s obviously being brought on for a reason… they watched multiple workouts. I would imagine they think that he’s going to make it if they sign him.”

Rapoport also further propagated a rumor that was first reported by ESPN’s Dianna Russini, which claims that Tebow could see a role similar to the one held by Taysom Hill in New Orleans.

Hill, who lines up at receiver, tight end, on special teams, and even at quarterback at times, is generally considered a tight end or H-back, though there isn’t a good term to describe his role.

“I do think we’re going to see Tebow do that,” Rapoport said.

Though when he was signed he seemed like a longshot to make the team, it seems that Tebow may be doing enough at camp to earn a spot on the final 53-man roster.

That could, of course, be a bad sign for the development of players like James O’Shaughnessy and Chris Manhertz, but it could also mean that, as Rapoport suggested, coach Urban Meyer has something else in mind for his former player. Either way, Tebow’s odds of being on the roster this fall seem to improve by the day.

Could Tim Tebow fill a Taysom Hill-like role in Jacksonville?

Tim Tebow’s role with the Jaguars could look a lot like the one that Taysom Hill has occupied in New Orleans, according to a report.

When it was announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars would be signing 33-year-old Tim Tebow to play tight end (a position he’s never played at a high level), it was assumed to be a reflection of Jacksonville’s desperation to find an answer at the position. But according to a recent report, it seems the team might have other plans for the former quarterback.

On ESPN’s “Get Up!” episode on Thursday morning, Dianna Russini reported that league sources have expressed to her that Urban Meyer may be looking to use Tebow like the New Orleans Saints use Taysom Hill (as a wildcat quarterback).

“There are those in the league who think Urban Meyer is bringing Tebow in to play QB at that Taysom Hill role,” Russini said. “Using him in that wildcat as we’ve seen him use in the past.

“Take a look at all of those different offenses [that Meyer coached]. It actually makes a lot of sense. So, yes, he may be on the roster as a tight end, but there maybe more to this Tebow experiment than him playing that position.”

 

A quarterback in college at BYU, Hill has seen action all over the field for the Saints since he was claimed off waivers by the team in 2017 after going undrafted. He’s lined up at receiver, tight end, running back, and returner in addition to playing quarterback as the backup to Drew Brees.

With Brees now retired, Hill will compete for the Saints’ starting job with Jameis Winston and Ian Book, the team’s fourth-round pick, in 2021. In total, Hill has 809 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground to go with 336 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. He’s also thrown four career touchdown passes.

Tebow almost certainly won’t get the chance to see action at quarterback like Hill did with C.J. Beathard and Gardner Minshew representing very solid backup options to Trevor Lawrence. But he could be a similar utility player to Hill that could contribute all over the field.

That may be a bit ambitious for a guy who hasn’t been on a 53-man roster in nine years, and Tebow’s chances of making the team in any capacity are pretty slim given the number of offensive playmakers Jacksonville already has.

But if he’s able to contribute anywhere on the field (including the tight end position he was originally signed to play), Meyer may be able to justify giving him a spot on the final roster.

Watch: Media gets first look at Tim Tebow doing TE drills with Jags

The local media finally got a glimpse of Tim Tebow working out at his new position with the Jags.

It’s been a week since the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Tim Tebow, and so far,  some in the building like Trevor Lawrence have come out to say that he’s at least in great shape. However, the media got their first glimpse at the former Gator on the field for themselves Thursday as Tebow did tight end drills with his teammates and worked on his catching.

In this phase of organized team activities, teams focus on gradually installing plays, conditioning, and mechanics, so this isn’t the moment where players are heavily critiqued. Still, one thing that can be taken away from these videos is that Tebow looks like he’s in great physical shape, something Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence have hinted at. While fans can identify tight ends who are taller at the position league-wide easily, Tebow doesn’t look like he’s lacking in the weight department (Jags have him listed at 245 pounds).

Only time will tell if Tebow looks like he belongs as things ramp up. When asked to speak on Tebow, Meyer said he’s seen improvement from Tebow over his brief time with the team but noted that it’s still a new process for the former quarterback. Meyer then proceeded to shift the focus by praising Jags tight ends coach Tyler Bowen for his work with the group as a whole and specifically praising James O’Shaughnessy and Ben Ellefson for their improvements.

Trevor Lawrence discusses time on the field with Tim Tebow so far

Like Urban Meyer, Trevor Lawrence also feels that Tim Tebow appears to be in great shape in the early stages of his Tim in Jacksonville.

Tim Tebow hasn’t quite been with the Jacksonville Jaguars a week yet, but one of the team’s most notable names, Trevor Lawrence, likes what he’s seen so far from the former quarterback. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Lawrence said he’s been impressed with Tebow’s conditioning, work ethic, and character, which is a trait he feels can help the locker room.

“The first thing that jumped out to me was the person,” Lawrence said of Tebow. “Just his character. What he brings to the locker room. A guy you want to be around. He just does things right. I think Coach Meyer and the staff knew that, bringing him on.

“He’s been awesome so far. Just a hard worker. And he’s in great shape. It’s been cool to see, and obviously, it’s still really early and he’s still learning and just coming in a couple days later than some other guys for the install, so he’s just getting his feet wet. But man, he’s doing great.”

We all know about Tebow’s skills in the locker room, but hearing Lawrence discuss Tebow’s conditioning is interesting. Jags coach Urban Meyer was the first to speak on his former team captain’s conditioning, saying that he was in the “best shape of his life.” In the first-ever footage of him taking the practice field with the Jags, he certainly passed the eye test and had the build of an NFL tight end despite never playing the position in the NFL (aside from a play or two).

Lawrence, who hadn’t met Tebow until last week, also stated that it was a bit odd to have him as a teammate after growing up watching him. In fact, he was just starting to get into football during Tebow’s time at Florida and said that he recalls using Tebow on EA’s NCAA Football game back then.

“That was really when I started to get into watching football and college football, right when Tim Tebow was in his heyday at Florida,” Lawrence said. “I played with him on all the NCAA games.

“But no, I’d never met him before until last week. That was cool for me to get to meet him. You would have thought that our paths would have crossed at some point, but they just hadn’t. I just found that interesting.”

Now, Lawrence is the one playing quarterback and Tebow is catching passes from him. And with organized team activities eventually set to ramp up, the hope is that the two can build a connection heading into the other offseason events as the Jags have question marks at tight end.

Tim Tebow’s deal is a 1-year deal worth the NFL’s minimum for veterans

The details of Tim Tebow’s contract have been revealed, and he will make the veteran minimum salary of $920,000 with nothing guaranteed.

The details of the contract for quarterback-turned-tight end Tim Tebow have been revealed, and unsurprisingly, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed the two-time national champion and former Heisman Trophy-winner to the veteran minimum, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Tebow will be on a one-year, $920,000 deal that includes no guaranteed money and an injury split, meaning his salary would drop below the league minimum if he ends up on the injured reserve.

Considering he has no experience playing tight end since his freshman year of high school, it was expected that Tebow would be given a “prove it” contract, and it’s not like he particularly needs the money. Just from his professional contracts alone, Bleacher Report estimates that he’s made over $10 million.

That doesn’t even include endorsement deals or his broadcasting contract with ESPN, the details of which aren’t publicly available but it’s presumably a lucrative deal. This experiment is clearly not about the money for Tebow, who could very well see none if he fails to make the team.

Rather, it seems coach Urban Meyer’s former quarterback at Florida is simply itching for a chance to get back into high-level football however he can. His odds of making the team remain very slim, but if it works out, he will be an incredibly cheap rostered player in Jacksonville.

Tim Tebow merchandise holds top-5 spots on NFL store

Tim Tebow has only been on the Jaguars roster for one day, and he already claims the top five spots on the official NFL store.

If the plan for the Jacksonville Jaguars in signing Tim Tebow was to keep things as low-key and team-focused as possible, the fans didn’t get the memo on that one. Just a day after the former Heisman-winning quarterback agreed to terms with Jacksonville as a tight end, his merchandise is dominating the NFL store.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the top-five selling items on the official NFL shop are all Tebow-related merchandise, including his new No. 85 jersey (despite the fact that this is just the jersey he was assigned for the first day of practice and could change later).

The five items that are specifically atop the NFL’s list of highest selling items are Tebow’s men and women alternate jerseys, his youth jerseys, and numbered t-shirts. This comes weeks after Trevor Lawrence doubled the record of Day 1 draft selection jersey sales.

Critics of the decision to bring on Tebow have argued that this move was made simply for attention, or, more likely, because of the prior relationship coach Urban Meyer has for his former player. When looking at the frenzy to purchase Tebow-related Jaguars merchandise, it validates a lot of those arguments.

But, to their credit, most of this hype has been created independent of Tebow and the Jags. Meyer hasn’t spoken in great detail about the decision to bring Tebow in, and aside from a short statement he released through the Jaguars upon signing, the two-time national title-winning passer has been silent, as well.

Though he clearly has fan support behind him, Tebow’s chances of making the team remain fairly slim. But Jacksonville still needs tight end help, and it may not take much for Tebow to prove to Meyer that he’s deserving of a roster spot.

Watch: Tim Tebow takes practice field with Jags for first time

Tim Tebow is finally back on the football field and suited up with the Jgs for the first tom Thursday.

Tim Tebow’s signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars became official Thursday, clearing him to take the field for the team’s second workout for Phase 2. With that being the case, it didn’t take long for the news to get a glimpse of the Jags’ new tight end as he was making his way to the field for his first NFL practice session since 2015.

If there is one takeaway we can garner from the video above, it’s that Tebow looks like he’s been hitting the weight room hard. That’s something that coach Urban Meyer also hinted at last week while raving about Tebow’s workout.

Tebow’s signing comes after the Jags weren’t able to add a big time receiving threat at tight end this offseason. However, they were able to add to solid blocking tight ends in Chris Manhertz and Luke Farrell.

It’s likely going to be a difficult task for Tebow to make the team in his return as he’s never played tight end in the NFL. Additionally, he’s now 33 and is approximately six years removed from football although he was playing in the minor leagues from 2016-21. Still, it’s a difficult challenge Tebow said he’s embracing and one that could be an interesting story if the Jacksonville native looks decent at his new position.