Reaction flooded in on Monday after NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport tweeted Tim Tebow is planning tp sign a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The #Jaguars are planning to sign QB-turned-TE Tim Tebow to a 1-year deal, per me and @TomPelissero, a deal that could be official in the next week or so. Nothing done yet. But he’ll have a chance to make the team to reunite with his mentor and college head coach Urban Meyer.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2021
Reaction from the Media
There has been plenty of reaction from the media on this news. Some of it positive, but some see this as a negative for the league. The two big arguments are Tebow could be taking a spot on the team from someone else who has played the position, and Tebow returning to the league while Colin Kaepernick has not.
Additionally, people are saying Tebow could be signed only because of his relationship with his former coach.
On the other side, there is also a set of people who are happy because they didn’t think Tebow had a chance to return to the NFL after his playoff run in Denver.
Overall, this potential signing has provided a ton of content for the media.
"[Tim Tebow] has not played a snap in a regular season game since 2012… He could be awesome at tight end at the age of 33 playing the position in the NFL for the first time… But all we have to work on is what we know and what we know is nothing."
—@minakimes pic.twitter.com/oPuc0mtgoT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) May 10, 2021
Here is ESPN’s Ryan Clark on the potential signing:
ESPN’s Max Kellerman and the First Take crew also shared their thoughts on the subject of Tebow potentially being signed and Colin Kaepernick not.
The First Take crew discusses the controversy surrounding Tim Tebow's opportunity to try out for the Jaguars while Colin Kaepernick has not been afforded the same opportunity by any NFL team. (Via @firsttake) pic.twitter.com/hHRpVIns5O
— Andscape (@andscape) May 11, 2021
ESPN’s Laura Rutledge went on Sportscene with Steve Russell to talk about what she thought of the potential signing.
Reaction within the Organization
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington had a report that the potential signing of Tebow may have caused some friction within the Jaguars front office.
"There's a serious disagreement within the building about the idea of Urban Meyer signing Tim Tebow. There are coaches on that staff who don't want to see it happen."
—@JeffDarlington pic.twitter.com/tqCtLm50Qs
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 11, 2021
The deal is expected to be official next week. The Jaguars were already a very interesting team this offseason with the hiring of head coach Urban Meyer and the drafting of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Now, things could get even more interesting if Tebow makes the team.
Florida Gators fans know how great the combination of Meyer and Tebow have been in the past. Two national championships, one Heisman Trophy and only seven losses happened during the Tebow/Meyer era. Meyer will hope to take that success to the NFL this season.