Reports: Jaguars ready to link up with Tim Tebow

By Adam Silverstein
December 23, 2012

Updated on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

As it is clear that quarterback Tim Tebow will no longer be a member of the New York Jets come 2013, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported Saturday that “league sources say it is a virtual certainty” the former Florida Gators star “will land a job back home with the Jacksonville Jaguars.”

Tebow, with one year left on his rookie contract, reportedly plans to request a trade or outright release at the end of the season, a move that the Jets will undoubtedly honor as the team no longer wishes to have him on its roster.

The door would then be open for Tebow to join his hometown Jaguars, which were also involved in trade discussions for him this past offseason.

UPDATE: On Sunday, NFL.com‘s Ian Rapoport reported similar details, noting that a team source conceded Tebow “will be a Jaguar” in 2013. He also said a trade is possible if Jacksonville wants to ensure it acquires him; the compensation would be “peanuts” and not anything significant.

Rapoport’s news is coming directly from the Jaguars, not Tebow’s contingent. He also points out that the jobs of the head coach and general manager are in jeopardy, but Tebow’s acquisition would occur regardless of who is running the team from the front office.

After acquiring future Hall of Fame signal caller Peyton Manning, the Denver Broncos fielded calls for Tebow and got high levels of interest from New York and Jacksonville. Each team offered a fourth-round pick and $3 million for an advance that had already been paid to Tebow, prompting Denver to give him the ability to choose his new home.

Tebow ultimately picked the Jets because conversations with the team’s executives and coaching staff led him to believe he would have a better opportunity to play right away and potentially win the starting quarterback job down the road. Instead, he barely saw the field in 2012 and was passed over this week when head coach Rex Ryan chose to bench Mark Sanchez and start third-stringer Greg McElroy in his place.

The Jaguars’ interest in Tebow is two-fold. In addition to being an extremely popular hometown hero whose presence would help fill the EverBank Field and bring life to a down franchise, Tebow could also compete for the starting job with 2011 first-round draft choice Blaine Gabbert and veteran Chad Henne.

“In 2013, the Jaguars will have an open competition at quarterback and a team source conceded it’s a ‘high likelihood’ Tebow will be part of the mix,” Mortensen reported.

In an interview with WKOV 690 AM on Jan. 30, new Jacksonville owner Shahid Khan told a radio caller that he would have no problem trading for Tebow if was to be made available last offseason. “When is the next time Jacksonville is going to have an athlete like Tim Tebow?” he questioned rhetorically.

The host then asked Khan if he would have drafted Tebow had he been the owner of the Jaguars at the time. “100 percent I would have. Absolutely,” he said. “The first Jaguars game I came to was in [2010], we played Denver here. There were a lot more Tebow jerseys in the Jaguars stands than the teal jerseys for any player, let’s face it. You hate to get into 20/20 hindsight and finger pointing but certainly [I would have drafted him] if I had anything to do with it. We probably won’t have a chance like that again.”

Khan will now have his second opportunity to acquire Tebow in as many offseasons and chances are he will be able to do so without giving up any compensation.

There was said to have been resistance from Jacksonville’s new coaching staff to bring Tebow in last year – the reason the Jaguars did not up their offer in an attempt to land him – but one can be certain that Khan will have his way if he decides to make acquiring Tebow a priority for the franchise.

Tebow has a career record of 8-6 as a starting quarterback, which includes a 1-2 record his rookie season when he started the final three games of the year with an interim head coach. He went 7-4 as a starter for the Broncos in 2011, including six-straight wins during the regular season and an overtime playoff victory against Pittsburgh. He also led a come-from-behind win at Miami when he replaced Kyle Orton.

Tebow has a career 17-9 TD-INT ratio with 12 rushing touchdowns in 23 total games from 2010-11. He averages 6.71 yards per pass and 5.0 yards per carry but only completes passes at a 47.9 percent rate. This season in New York, Tebow went 6-of-8 for 39 yards and ran 32 times for 102 yards.

11 Comments

  1. VO2max says:

    Seeing Tebow in a Jets jersey is the WORST. I’ve actually thrown up on my sofa 87 times because of that. Time for a change. Go Jags.

  2. obgator says:

    Adam, I’ve heard some conflicting details about whether Tebow really had a choice between the Jets and Jags last year. Any insight on this? Some say the Broncos only made it seem like Tebow had a choice, and chose the Jets for him. Others say Tebow chose the Jets as a matter of loyalty where the Jets offered for him first. Regardless, it was a wasted season for Tim.

  3. Ken (CA) says:

    I know it is semantics but your source “conceded” that he would be a Jag next year. That sounds more like reluctant acceptance than an excited reaction. Other than the owner, do you have any feel for what the players think about it (we already know how the coaches feel and good chance they won’t be there anyway)

  4. TexGat says:

    If given a real chance Tebow seems to continually prove he can win. If the players on the Jags give him a chance they’ll see the natural leader Tebow is and the winner he is. Just like Noah at Chicago. At first they thought Noah was obnoxious, what did this rookie know about the NBA, now look at Chicago :). Much better off for getting on board with Noah than bad mouthing him. Never count out natural leadership and the enthusiasm and determinatoin a winner brings to the table.

  5. Timmy T says:

    The conflicting story comes from Tebow himself. He said the choice wasn’t his. Either way, I’m just hoping he gets to play somewhere. Never boring when he’s at QB.

    • Ken (CA) says:

      I read from several surces that he always had a choice between Jax and NYJ, but even though the owner really wanted him, the coaching staff said publicly they had no interest in him at all, and that is what ultimately made him believe the NYJ would give him a better chance. Of course, he didn’t know what kind of l ying scumbags they apparently were

      • All of this was told to me directly by a source close to Tebow and reported here on OGGOA.

        • Joe Johnson says:

          That is just speculation and supposition! Get the direct quote from Tebow’s mouth (on audio/video if possible). NFL players don’t “choose” where they play that is why they are drafted! Players go to the team that selects them unless the owner/coaches make a deal to send the player elsewhere. Broncos sent Tebow to Jets for draft picks that Jax wouldn’t offer. Tebow was not a factor in the discussion! If Shad Khan is truly the shrewd business man he’s portrayed in Jacksonville, he’ll solve two “problems” at once. Offer MJD to the Jets for Tebow + 2013 1st round pick (select Collin Klein for the running QB backfield)!

  6. GatorKen says:

    hopefully he goes to Jax and gets a chance. If they make moves to build a team around Tebow then they can be pretty exciting on offense. The QBs they have right now are just lame. Though I kinda wanted to see Tebow at Minn so he could hook up with Harvin again

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