The Jacksonville Jaguars honestly didn’t need Tim Tebow entering the 2021 season. He could only be a distraction, wouldn’t have made the final 53-man roster by merit, and would be a gimmicky game day distraction who’d create a media frenzy.
Maybe the stunt signing and his reunion with Urban Meyer looked good on paper, but it was obvious after one preseason game that Tebow couldn’t keep up even against second- and third-string opponents at tight end. Thus, amid their first wave of roster cuts, the Jags cut Tebow loose on Tuesday.
No one is going to blame Tebow for how bad he was. He hadn’t played in the NFL regular season since 2012, and he was converting from quarterback to an entirely new, much more physically punishing position.
In fact, Tebow was more recently attempting a pro baseball career with the New York Mets. Football wasn’t even his primary athletic focus.
Although he showed up in great shape and looked the part physically, Tebow is 34 years old, doesn’t come close to matching the athletic profile of the NFL’s best tight ends, and — with all due respect to these players — couldn’t even come close to the likes of James O’Shaughnessy or Chris Manhertz to be among Jacksonville’s top two tight ends.
O’Shaughnessy and Manhertz aren’t household names. Tebow was not in their league.
As much love as Meyer has for Tebow, he’s also monomaniacal about winning, and he wasn’t going to let anyone stand in his way of achieving the objective of instant success in his first crack as an NFL head coach. Even Tebow.
So, with all that backstory established and Tebow out of Jacksonville, there were plenty on social media who wanted to poke fun at Tebow’s comeback attempt after he was released — if only because no one else with his credentials, or lack thereof, would’ve gotten this opportunity.
Urban Meyer cutting Tim Tebow pic.twitter.com/lk87KK2wK6
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) August 17, 2021
tim tebow next year pic.twitter.com/lguZX2GUQb
— Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) August 17, 2021
Tebow under .5 touchdowns ✅ https://t.co/i2qMygU3AH
— Barstool Sportsbook (@BSSportsbook) August 17, 2021
Tebow looked terrible in exhibition game. But Urb looks worse. Way worse.
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) August 17, 2021
Tebow released from the @Jaguars has anyone checked on @RealSkipBayless
— mark schlereth (@markschlereth) August 17, 2021
Time for Tebow to achieve his final form at Middle Linebacker
— Boston Connor (@BostonConnr) August 17, 2021
Tebow getting cut isn’t a shock. It was obvious he couldn’t play tight end. Any other coach doesn’t even give him a chance.
— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) August 17, 2021
Just got my Tebow jersey in the mail! Cannot wait for him to dominate this season pic.twitter.com/tZJ34u2DqM
— toke (@ToKeNasty) August 17, 2021
Tim Tebow's career as an NFL tight end
— Pick Six Podcast (@picksixpod) August 17, 2021
May 20, 2021 – August 17, 2021 pic.twitter.com/A62CdBW3Da
Tim Tebow getting cut definitely means the next neighborhood BBQ is going to be a little awkward https://t.co/f4tgzxaE5x pic.twitter.com/o21d0KICBs
— John Breech (@johnbreech) August 17, 2021
Let’s all agree to spend no more than 75 seconds on Tim Tebow being released by the Jaguars.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) August 17, 2021
The Tim Tebow-Jacksonville Jaguars preseason highlight reel. Oh, what could have been. pic.twitter.com/yD7YbPn7ki
— Josh Sánchez (@joshnsanchez) August 17, 2021
Need a story on Jaguars Tebow jersey owners. Motivation for purchase, what to do now, do they also have a Jets Tebow jersey https://t.co/qs4q930OoT
— Kevin Cole (@KevinColePFF) August 17, 2021
Tim Tebow deserves a lot of credit for continuing to put himself out there and try to make a team even when he will be ridiculed endlessly.
— Rob Goldberg (@TheRobGoldberg) August 17, 2021
The blame goes on Urban Meyer, who lost some credibility in the locker room by giving an unqualified player a tryout. https://t.co/qyRcZ0YTpw
Kudos to Tebow for giving it a shot.
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) August 17, 2021
He’s got loads of $ and fame, to humble himself by trying another position, and a physical one at that, is commendable.
There are people who will rewrite a tweet 50 times because they’re afraid of putting themselves out there who will make fun of Tim Tebow for trying to learn how to block at an NFL level at 34 years old.
— Alex Ballentine (@Ballentine_Alex) August 17, 2021
Jaguars sold some jerseys, Tebow got to have fantasy camp for a little bit, Urban got to hire someone he loves regardless of qualification, and we in the blogging world got some posts off. That's how the sausage is made, baby
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) August 17, 2021
Respect to Tim Tebow for putting himself back in the arena. Zero shame in that.
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) August 17, 2021
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