For the first time since 2015, it seems like Tim Tebow may have a chance to play in the NFL. The former Broncos, Jets, Patriots and Eagles quarterback has spent the past five seasons playing baseball with the minor league affiliates of the Mets, but now it seems that his college coach Urban Meyer wants to give him a chance to play with the Jaguars.
Of course, it won't be at the quarterback spot. The Jags just drafted Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick, so he is their long-term starter. Instead, the 33-year-old Tebow is trying to switch to the tight end spot, a move that could have lengthened his NFL career from the beginning.
On the surface, it may seem strange to give a chance to a 33-year-old player who has been out of the league for five seasons and is making a position switch. That said, the Jaguars' staff seems confident that Tebow can provide something to the team, and the ownership and front office staff seem to agree.
MORE: Way-too-early 2022 NFL mock draft — Jaguars upgrade their offense early
In a recent interview with Bleacher Report, Tony Khan, son of Jacksonville owner Shad Khan and chief football strategy officer for the Jaguars, didn't say much about Tebow's workout with the team, but he confirmed that Meyer believes that Tebow could play a role in Jacksonville.
“Tim has definitely come in and worked out,” Khan said. “So beyond that, I can’t say too much, but Tim has come in and worked out as a tight end. That’s not a position that we’ve seen him play, but it’s a position that he’s been practicing at with us. So that will be interesting to see how that contributes to us on offense, too. Obviously, Urban knows Tim really well and Tim has got a great history of winning. Urban really believes he can help us, and I think it makes a lot of sense. And it’s a position where we need to get better.”
Khan is right in that the Jaguars don't have a lot at the tight end position. As it stands, Chris Manhertz is the top option on their depth chart with James O'Shaughnessy serving as a veteran backup and Tyler Davis, Ben Ellefson and Luke Farrell making up a triage of younger options at the position. They haven't had a player top 40 receptions at the position since 2015, so they're still looking for a player who can serve as an upgraded weapon for Lawrence.
Tebow obviously wouldn't fit the bill as a long-term option given that he's 33, but Meyer and Co. are leaving no stone unturned as they look for ways to improve the Jaguars. That may include giving the athletic Tebow a look despite his five-year absence from football and his lack of experience at tight end.
The NFL has seen former quarterbacks break out at the tight end position before. Most notably, former Cardinals QB Logan Thomas burst onto the scene with 72 catches, 670 yards and six touchdowns last year in his first full year as a starter with the Washington Football Team. Could Tebow be the next one to do that? It's hard to imagine, but anything is possible.
And Meyer and Tebow's relationship goes back a long way. If anyone is willing to give Tebow a chance to return to the NFL and play a new position, it would make sense for it to be Meyer.
