Jaguars’ HC Urban Meyer on Tim Tebow Possibility: ‘I Have Not Decided if We’re Going To Do That or Not Yet’
The biggest story in the NFL the last two days? Whether Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer will take the plunge and make the controversial addition of Tim Tebow to his roster.
But, as Meyer told it on The Cris Collinsworth Podcast this week, the Jaguars' leader has yet to decide if he will give 33-year-old Tebow yet another chance in the NFL.
"And I have not decided if we're going to do that or not yet. Getting close. I got to make a decision here pretty soon," Meyer said.
Tebow has been connected to the Jaguars since it was first reported in the hours leading up to April 29's NFL Draft that Tebow had worked out for Jaguars' coaches as a tight end. The former first-round quarterback hasn't played in an NFL game since 2012, but that hasn't stopped the Jaguars to this point.
Earlier this week, NFL Network reported the Jaguars are "expected" to sign Tebow and make it official in the near future. Tebow, of course, was recruited by Meyer to the University of Florida out of high school, going on to win a Heisman Trophy and set numerous Florida and national records in Meyer's offense.
Tebow was a first-round selection (No. 25 overall) for the Broncos in 2010, but he has never played tight end at the college or NFL level.
Tebow last appeared in a regular season NFL game on Dec. 30, 2012, a game in which he played one offensive snap for the New York Jets. He played two years for the Broncos, appearing in 23 games and starting 14. He appeared in 12 games with the Jets and started two. He also had short stints with the Eagles and Patriots but never made the regular season roster with either.
Tebow spent five years in the Mets' minor league program before announcing his retirement on February 17, a month after Meyer had taken the Jaguars' head coaching position.
But now, it appears Tebow and the Jaguars is at least a clear possibility, if not a likely outcome. As Meyer explained to Collinsworth, Tebow requested the workout with the Jaguars.
"We have not signed Tim," Meyer clarified.
"There's a thought going around. He was in the best shape of his life, asked to see if he could work out with a couple of our coaches. I wasn't even there. And they came back to me and said, 'Wow, this guy's in incredible shape.' Then I went another time and watched them try him out. And they said go work on these things, he comes back later.
"They try him out again, I'm not there, they come in and they said, 'Wow, this guy's ball skills, he's a great athlete, he looks like he's 18-years-old, not 20, whatever he is, 33. I said, 'Guys you don't understand, now this guy is, he's the most competitive maniac you're ever gonna talk to and let's give it a shot.'"
The only tight ends on Jacksonville's roster currently are Chris Manhertz (12 career catches), James O'Shaughnessy (88 career catches), Tyler Davis (zero career catches), and Ben Ellefson (one career catch), along with fifth-round rookie selection Luke Farrell. The Jaguars also traded former third-round tight end Josh Oliver to the Baltimore Ravens in March for a conditional 2022 seventh-round draft pick.
Still, the reaction to the Tebow news has been far from universally positive. National pundits and former and active players alike have slammed the Jaguars for even considering signing Tebow considering his age, lack of experience at the position, and lack of NFL relevancy in nearly a decade.
“I have one job and that is to win games with the Jacksonville Jaguars. If Tim Tebow or Travis Etienne can help us win, then that’s my job to get them ready to go play," Meyer said on May 1 following the NFL Draft. "That decision is certainly not made yet."
