By MARK LONG, AP Pro Football Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Tim Tebow’s NFL comeback is seemingly over.
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived Tebow on Tuesday, parting with the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, who moved from quarterback to tight end to rejuvenate his professional football career.
Tebow’s blockade ranged from uncomfortable to terrible in Jacksonville’s opening game against Cleveland on Saturday night, his 34th birthday. He failed to make a catch and didn’t play snaps on special teams.
“Grateful for the ups and even the lows, the opportunities and the setbacks,” Tebow wrote on Twitter. “I never wanted to make decisions out of fear of failure and I am grateful for the chance to have followed a dream.”
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Coach Urban Meyer, who recruited Tebow to nearby Florida and gave him another NFL chance, should address his decision after training.
Tebow opened the training camp as Jacksonville’s fourth or fifth tight end after switching positions that year. He attempted to return to the NFL after spending the last five years in the New York Mets organization. He hit .223 with 18 home runs and 107 RBIs while never making it into the major leagues.
He asked Meyer for a trial session after retiring from baseball in January. Meyer signed up and ended up giving him a one-year deal worth $ 920,000, the minimum for a player with three NFL seasons accrued. The low risk deal doesn’t include guaranteed money, so Tebow would have to get the team to make a penny.
And that was always the unsafe part. Jacksonville entered camp with three tight ends essentially locked in squad seats: run-blocking specialist Chris Manhertz, veteran James O’Shaughnessy, and fifth-round draft pick Luke Farrell.
It quickly became clear that Tebow was less of a pass catching option than Tyler Davis, a 2020 round six selection, and sophomore Ben Ellefson.
Denver selected Tebow in the first round in 2010. He led the Broncos to a playoff win in his sophomore season but never developed the consistency to be a dependable NFL quarterback. He couldn’t stay with the New York Jets, New England, and Philadelphia either.
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