When news broke on draft night that Tim Tebow had worked out with the Jaguars, I blogged my excitement about his potential return to the NFL. We all know my love for Tim Tebow, but this is not the time for the backstory. Nobody cares that I went to the UF Orange and Blue game in April 2009.
Yesterday, the news that the Jacksonville Jaguars WILL sign Tebow became official, even though the details surrounding the deal have still not been released and some coaches on the staff are against it. All we know is it's a one-year deal. I'd assume it's for close to the league minimum, with next to no guaranteed money and perhaps some incentives based on making the team and production.
As an unabashed Tebow guy, I was fucking pumped.
Since Tim Tebow is one of the most polarizing athletes of all time and everything in society has to be black and white (both literally and figuratively), some people are pissed off because Colin Kaepernick is out of the league.
Look, I think it's fucked that Kaepernick has been "blackballed" for his beliefs and protest, but let's not act like Patrick Mahomes got blackballed. Kap's career completion percentage is sub 60; he lost his job to Blaine fucking Gabbert and went 4-20 in his last 24 starts. Obviously, the protest played a significant factor, but he would've stayed in the league if his production was better. I genuinely believe that. Let's not forget that he turned down a deal from the Broncos and asked for way more than he was worth given his recent track record. Plus, he blew off the 2019 workout. It's all about the headache vs. output. If Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott or Patrick Mahomes started the anthem protests, they aren't out of the league. Plain and simple. It's the same reason why Tim Tebow didn't hang around as a backup QB after how much of a circus 2012 was for the Jets. Teams didn't want the distraction that comes with Tebow's celebrity combined with his (lack of) ability. Likewise, teams don't want the headache that comes with Kap's political stance when he played poorly at best from mid-2014 to the end of his career. He had no touch. He'd peg 98 MPH fastballs at running backs in the flat. I've made the joke a million times that Tebow was the original black-listed kneeler, but now I'm scared to say that because of how sensitive this entire situation is. I think it's super fucked up what's happened to Kap, but it's so exhausting, especially when people who know nothing about sports on both sides of the political spectrum turn this into something deeper than a former college coach giving one of the best players he ever coached another shot.
Right wing idiots:
I'm sure she has plenty of sources about Kap as a teammate...
Yep, that's why the Jags signed him to play tight end!
Left wing idiots:
Obviously, Tim Tebow was not a good NFL QB. He was as accurate as an Apache Revolver.
And there's no denying that it's been a WHILE since Tebow's last meaningful NFL snaps. His last start as a QB came in a Reebok jersey.
But the Jaguars didn't sign him to play quarterback; they signed him as a tight end...the same position that the biggest Tebow detractors were saying he should've switched to before, during, and after Tebowmania. I wish he never played baseball and just did this in like 2014, but it's his life and decision. I just wish he was more supportive of all people making their own decisions.
If he was signed to compete with Trevor Lawerence with well over 3,000 days passing since his last regular-season snap, then I'd get the outrage. But this is a guy who's stayed in fantastic shape while competing as a minor league baseball player getting a chance with his hometown team and former college coach. His guy is giving him a look. When did that become a crime? It's not like 18 teams are in a bidding war for his services or he's been to training camps the last few years getting a million opportunities to play QB. One team, coached by his former college coach, is giving him a CHANCE to play tight end after many said he should've done this from the jump. Obviously marketing and tickets are a factor too, but given the success of Taysom Hill with the Saints there's an interest for Tebow's skill set. For years Tebow said he only wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL and that he didn't love football, he loved quarterbacking. Now years later maybe he had a "Change of Heart" like The 1975 when given a chance to play for Urban Meyer in the NFL? For goodness sake, it's the perfect storm. Sure, there's been a lot of time between his last NFL appearance, but that's precisely what makes this story so incredible. If this was any other player attempting a comeback after nine years, the internet would be sucking his dick. All the Jaguars have done is sign him to a one-year deal. So what? NFL contracts are like Whose Line is It Anyway? The contract are made up and the money doesn’t matter. The Patriots signed Timmy to a two-year deal in 2013 and spoiler alert he didn’t even make the team :( He'll go to camp and compete. If he can't get it done, they'll cut him, and that will be the last we see of Tebow, the NFL athlete. This is it. No more chances after this. But if he makes it, this story becomes a Disney+ movie. I know Urban Meyer loves Tebow, but he isn't going to ruin his only chance at being an NFL Head Coach for someone who can't actually help. This isn't charity. Then again, maybe Urban will decide to "retire" and go back to college after a year away from coaching. There's a lot of moves in play. It all comes to risk vs. reward. In Jacksonville (where I lived for two years), Jags games were blacked out regularly in the 2000s. Sure it's the biggest city in the country in terms of area, but it's still a minor league city when it comes to sports. Besides Jason Mendoza, who actually cares about the Jaguars? JAX has a huge military base that brings in tons of transplants in the area who already have allegiances to their hometown teams. Same for a lot of Florida in general. People in JAX care more about college football, and the area is full of UF fans. They're hardly the first team to sign a local legend to ramp up interest. I'll end with this. If you're crying about this "taking a job" from a more deserving player, suck my tiny, broken dick. Have you seen the Jaguars tight end depth? It's 2020 Patriots bad. Tebow can't hurt. Do you know anything about league history? Tons of ex-basketball players with no college football experience have gotten signed as tight ends. Some work out, some don't. Is that unfair to college TEs? Don't get on your high horse like you give half a fuck about the 48th guy on a roster; you just don't like Tim Tebow. Which is fine; I don't care if you're a fan of his or not, but all these talking in heads on Twitter pandering for likes and RTs drive me crazy. If you can't beat out a 33-year old Tim Tebow who's been out of the league since 2012 (2015 if we count the preseason where Tebow played great with the Eagles), you don't deserve a job in the NFL.
All I know is this whole experiment is going to be a blast to watch from 1,200 miles away and I cannot wait to play with the Jaguars in Madden this fall. Worst case Tebow gets cut, and I can sign him to the Patriots, switch him back to QB and win multiple Super Bowl running the triple-option.
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