Tim Tebow’s NFL comeback is over before it even started. The Jacksonville Jaguars have released the former quarterback after just one pre-season game. That means the quarterback/sports broadcaster who also tried his hand at minor league baseball will not make a return to competitive football and his career is probably over now.
Return Was Always Going to Be a Longshot
The Tim Tebow experiment seemed to be doomed right from the start, but Tebow’s former college coach, Urban Meyer, wanted to give the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback another go anyway.
He was the exotic camp invitee that NFL teams call from time to time, a move that rarely turns into something more for either player or franchise.
On Tuesday, the Tim Tebow – Jaguars experiment suffered the same fate. The 34-year-old, who won two national titles with Jaguars coach Urban Meyer while at the University of Florida, was let go on Tuesday by the Jacksonville-based franchise after just one game – their preseason duel against the Browns.
Not Willing to Make a Position Switch
Tebow was a first-round pick for the Denver Broncos back in 2010. The quarterback had a bright start to his NFL career and even won a playoff game during his time in Colorado. However, he decided to leave the Broncos after just a couple of years.
He then spent some time with the New York Jets and joined the Patriots and Eagles’ training camps, before quitting football because he was unwilling to play in a different position.
Back then, Tebow was quoted saying that he loved being a quarterback, but that he didn’t love football as a sport. Even the great Bill Belichick tried to convince him otherwise, but Tebow was adamant that his decision not to change his position and leave football was final.
Too Little Too Late
However, Urban Meyer being appointed a Jacksonville Jaguars head coach changed that. Meyer contacted his old friend and once again asked him if he would be willing to switch positions and return to the NFL.
Tebow’s relationship with Meyer is so good that he accepted the invitation and agreed to bulk up and try to become a tight end – something that was always going to be a challenge for a player his age.
Tebow might be 6-foot-3 and weigh 260 pounds, but he still needed to become much more physical to make the Jaguars roster as a tight end. The Cleveland Browns preseason game showed just that and probably helped seal the deal for the Jaguars.
What Could Have Been?
Whatever happens next, one thing is for sure, Tim Tebow will remain a popular culture icon, regardless of his faltering NFL career. His return, even though unsuccessful, caused a big media stir and got fans excited.
Who knows what would have happened if Tebow agreed to switch positions back in 2011. However, a decade later, that switch proved impossible, leaving Tebow as one of the most popular NFL players with only a couple of competitive seasons under their belts.
