Jacksonville Jaguars

Tim Tebow signed a one-year, $920,000 contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Per Rapoport, there is no guaranteed money in Tebow's deal, which also includes an injury split.

The former NFL quarterback, who has not played in a regular-season game since 2012, will be attempting to make the team as a tight end.

Tebow may be on a veteran minimum contract, but the quarterback has made well over $10 million from his professional sports contracts, not including any other career earnings for endorsements, his time as an ESPN college football analyst and any other opportunities.

Tebow cashed in with the Denver Broncos, who selected the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NCAA champion 25th overall in the 2010 NFL draft. Per ESPN, Tebow inked a five-year, $11.25 million contract ($8.7 million guaranteed). At the time, the contract had a max value of $33 million with bonuses and incentives, although that figure was never realized.

Tebow only played in Denver for two years before the Broncos traded him to the New York Jets. Gang Green reportedly agreed to pay Tebow a $2.53 million salary advance as part of the parameters of the trade, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Jets released Tebow after the season. He landed on the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles' practice squads in 2013 and 2015, respectively, but did not make the final roster.

Tebow soon tried his hand at professional baseball, playing in the New York Mets' minor league system from 2017-19. The Mets gave him a $100,000 signing bonus when he landed with the team.

Now Tebow will be looking to make an improbable NFL comeback, switching positions nine years after last stepping foot on the field. The 34-year-old is reuniting with ex-Florida and current Jags head coach Urban Meyer.

Tim Tebow has dominated NFL Shop sales after he returned to the NFL by signing a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars to compete for a roster spot as a tight end.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted the former Denver Broncos and New York Jets quarterback owned the top five spots on the NFL Shpp website as of Friday morning:

At https://t.co/jHuhn4vMsP today, the top five selling items are all....Tim Tebow items. pic.twitter.com/k2wdJvX5lQ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2021

Tebow last played in an NFL regular-season in 2012 with the Jets. He had short stints with the New England Patriots (2013) and Philadelphia Eagles (2015) during their respective training camps, but he didn't make the final roster on either occasion.

The 2010 first-round draft pick didn't have the accuracy necessary to become a franchise quarterback, completing just 47.9 percent of his throws in 35 games, but his prior relationship with new Jags head coach Urban Meyer, his coach at the University of Florida, has landed him another chance.

The 33-year-old's return to the NFL comes after he spent the past five years in the New York Mets minor league system trying to pursue an MLB career. He's also worked as a college football analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network.

Jacksonville provided a statement from Tebow while announcing his addition to the roster:

We have signed TE Tim Tebow. pic.twitter.com/xAsfcZP1sG

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 20, 2021

It's tough to make any definitive judgments about the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner's outlook with the Jags.

On one hand, his age and lack of experience at the position makes it a long shot that the 6'3", 236-pounder will develop into a major impact player, especially in his first year of the transition.

On the other, the Jaguars don't have a proven tight end on the roster, with Chris Manhertz and James O'Shaughnessy as the top in-house options. So it's possible Tebow could force the coaching staff into a tough decision if he makes substantial progress between now and start of the season in September.

Although his NFL future is a bit murky, his popularity is clearly as strong as ever.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have finalized the long-rumored contract with former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, who will attempt to make the Jags' final roster as a tight end.

ESPN's Adam Schefter first reported the news Thursday:

Tim Tebow has told those around him that he knows the challenge that is ahead of him and, as usual, he embraces it. https://t.co/Y4V23IlSrv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 20, 2021

Here's a look at the Jaguars' updated offensive depth chart after the signing:

QB: Trevor Lawrence, Gardner Minshew II, C.J. Beathard

RB: James Robinson, Carlos Hyde, Dare Ogunbowale

RB/WR: Travis Etienne

WR 1: DJ Chark Jr.

WR 2: Marvin Jones Jr.

WR 3: Laviska Shenault Jr., Phillip Dorsett, Collin Johnson

TE: Chris Manhertz, James O'Shaughnessy, Tyler Davis, Tim Tebow

LT: Cam Robinson, Walker Little

LG: Andrew Norwell, Ben Bartch

C: Brandon Linder, Tyler Shatley

RG: A.J. Cann, Tre'Vour Wallace-Simms

RT: Jawaan Taylor, Will Richardson

---

Jacksonville later made the deal official and provided comments from Tebow:

We have signed TE Tim Tebow. pic.twitter.com/xAsfcZP1sG

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 20, 2021

The 33-year-old University of Florida product last played in a regular-season NFL game in 2012. He had training camp stints with the New England Patriots in 2013 and Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, but he couldn't crack either team's final roster.

He's since tried his hand at baseball, embarking on four-year run in the New York Mets' minor league system, and worked as a college football analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network.

Tebow is a long shot to make the Jags' final roster for a variety of reasons, ranging from his age to his lack of experience at the position, but he's got a relationship with head coach Urban Meyer from their time together at Florida, which included two national titles.

Meyer told Pro Football Focus' Cris Collinsworth (via Charles Curtis of USA Today) the team's coaches and talent evaluators were surprised by Tebow during his tryouts:

"He was in the best shape of his life, asked to see if he could work out with a couple of our coaches. I wasn't even there. They came back to me and said, 'Wow, this guy's in incredible shape.' Then, I went another time and watched them try him out. And they said go work on these things, he comes back later. They try him out again—I'm not there—they come in and they said, 'Wow, this guy's ball skills, he's a great athlete, he looks like he's 18 years old, not 33. I said, 'Guys you don't understand, now this guy is the most competitive maniac you're ever gonna talk to and let's give it a shot.'"

The one thing working to Tebow's advantage is the lack of a standout tight end on the Jaguars roster. So if he can showcase progress throughout training camp and makes some plays in the preseason, he may force the coaching staff into a tough decision when rosters are trimmed.

If he does make the team, he will likely operate more as a pass-catching and gadget-play specialist than an every-down tight end expected to handle in-line blocking responsibilities and things of that nature.

Tim Tebow signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday with the goal of making the team as a tight end, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Michael DiRocco.

The Jaguars confirmed the signing and tweeted a statement from Tebow in which he said he is ready to embrace the challenge of being an NFL tight end:

We have signed TE Tim Tebow. pic.twitter.com/xAsfcZP1sG

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 20, 2021

It was first reported a few weeks ago that Tebow worked out for the Jags at tight end despite the fact that he was a quarterback when he played in the NFL from 2010 to 2012 with the Denver Broncos and New York Jets.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Tebow will wear jersey No. 85 on Thursday, although that could change in the future.

                            

Tebow's relationship with Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer is undoubtedly a huge reason why he is getting the opportunity. His college playing days at Florida saw him win two national championships and a Heisman Trophy with Meyer as his coach.

Despite no shortage of question marks regarding his ability as a passer, Tebow went 25th overall to the Broncos in the 2010 NFL draft.

After starting three games as a rookie, Tebow became Denver's full-time starter under center in 2011, going 7-4 in 11 regular-season starts. Tebow completed only 46.5 percent of his passes for 1,729 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions, although he did rush for 660 yards and six scores.

Most notably, Tebow led the Broncos to a playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers that season, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in overtime.

The Broncos got decimated 45-10 by the New England Patriots the following week, and that marked the end of Tebow's time as a starting quarterback.

Denver signed free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning and traded Tebow to the New York Jets, but Tebow didn't do much in 2012. He failed to make the regular-season rosters of the Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles in subsequent years.

With football in the past, Tebow spent four seasons playing baseball in the New York Mets' minor league system, making it as far as Triple-A in 2019.

Tebow announced his retirement from baseball this year and quickly shifted his focus back to football.

Speaking to Cris Collinsworth on his podcast, Meyer said Tebow is in "incredible shape" and "looks like he's 18 years old" on the field.

Tebow, 33, has not played in an NFL regular-season game since 2012 and has never played tight end aside from maybe a handful of snaps during his time with the Jets.

The Jaguars do have a need at tight end, though, as James O'Shaughnessy, 2020 sixth-round pick Tyler Davis and blocking tight ends Chris Manhertz and Luke Farrell are their top options at the position.

Based on that and Meyer's trust in Tebow, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that the former quarterback could have a second act in the NFL ahead of him.

Urban Meyer doesn't know what he's doing as an NFL head coach. Or does he? 

These exact sentiments echoed across social media after Travis Etienne, this year's 25th overall draft pick, spent all of the Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie camp as a wide receiver instead of running back. 

"At the worst-case scenario, you have a running back with the skill set of a wide receiver," Meyer told reporters. "Best-case scenario, you'll have a hybrid player who does both, and that's what we're hoping to develop out of Travis."

The flippancy of the remark bordered on egotistical.

Sure, let's take the ACC's all-time leading rusher, draft him with a first-round pick and immediately move him to wide receiver. He'll be fine. We know exactly what we're doing. 

Everyone saw this story unfold before with another ultra-successful collegiate head coach who came into the NFL and wanted complete control of his organization's operations. He instilled his specific way of doing things to the franchise's eventual detriment. 

Meyer is vastly different from Chip Kelly, though. 

Kelly was too beholden to his system. Once opponents adjusted, he never evolved from what made him initially successful. 

The new Jaguars football czar has always taken a different approach, and Etienne's usage serves as a microcosm for his viewpoint. Meyer understands an important concept that some other coaches throughout the league don't quite grasp: It's the Jimmys and Joes, not the X's and O's. 

"If you know me, you know I think any offense can work if you have the right personnel back. Offenses are overrated. People are not," Meyer told the Orlando Sentinel's Chris Harry in 2009 (h/t Smart Football's Chris Brown). "The NFL will take a quarterback and put him on a very bad team and call him a bust. Never mind that the defense ranks last in the league and there's no offensive line. ... It's personnel based."

Meyer is one of the forefathers of football's spread revolution. His teams won at every stop from Bowling Green and back around to Ohio State. Certain staples exist in all offenses. And the Jaguars are catering theirs to fit Meyer's preferred vision. 

The basic tenet of Meyer's approach is simple: spread the field and gain a numbers advantage. The offense should never be in a position where the ball-carrier—be it the running back, receiver or quarterback—is faced with handling an unblocked defender. By stretching the field horizontally, the scheme stresses the defense to the point of breaking, which it often did at the collegiate level. 

Although offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will serve as the Jaguars' play-caller, Meyer's fingerprints will be all over the scheme. 

"His ability to adapt to my vision of the offense, which is little different maybe than he's done in the past," Meyer told reporters. "... I'm certainly not going to call plays, that's his responsibility, but I have a real clear vision about what I want the offense to look like and he was great."

The H-back (often referred to as "Percy position" in honor of Percy Harvin) is a vital component in Meyer's system. The position is a hybrid who plays both wide receiver and running back, which he wants Etienne to be in Jacksonville.

"He's the Percy Harvin, we're hoping. I mean, those are big shoes, when you say something like that," the coach said during an interview on 1010XL 92.5 FM JAX Sports Radio (h/t the Spun's Chris Rosvoglou). "But you've got Parris Campbell, you've got Curtis Samuel, those types of players. Offensive coordinators love those kind of guys who can do multiple things.”

It isn't an unfair assessment from a physical standpoint.

Player	Height	Weight	40-yard dash	Vertical	Broad
Harvin	5'11"	192	4.41	37.5"	10'1"
Etienne	5'10"	215	4.41	33.5"	10'8"

Harvin, whom the Minnesota Vikings selected in the first round of the 2009 draft, made an immediate impact as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. In his first three seasons, Harvin averaged 1,070.7 yards from scrimmage. Unfortunately, injuries robbed the electric playmaker of a full and lasting career. 

While the two differ from a skill-set perspective, Etienne could also become of one the league's most dynamic weapons. He certainly understood the implications of making the transition: 

"Football is a game of matchups. I feel like I create a problem outside for a linebacker. We're just trying to get the best matchups for us to go out there and make plays and do what's best for the team. I feel like if I really hone in on my skills and just keep working at it, work on my route running ability and really focus in on what the plan is and buy into that, we'll make plays; we're playmakers."

For some, the idea might seem a little off after the two-time consensus All-American ran for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns during his four seasons with the Tigers. At the same time, the Jaguars see him as an explosive mismatch waiting to happen.

Etienne is a natural receiver out of the backfield. According to Pro Football Focus, the two-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year led all running backs last season in receiving grade (90.9), receiving yards (588) and first-down or touchdowns receptions (29). 

New Jaguars quarterback and former Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence approved of Meyer's plans for Etienne: 

"I'm glad he's getting work that, getting those reps right now. He's just a dynamic player. He can do a lot of different things, but that's something that he's not very used to. At Clemson he was pretty much in the backfield all the time. He ran a lot of routes out of the backfield, but splitting out wide is something he hasn't done a lot." 

Etienne will line up wide, in the slot on the wing and in the backfield alongside fellow tailbacks James Robinson and Carlos Hyde. 

At its heart, Meyer's scheme is a run-first offense. During his seven seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes finished outside of the top 17 in rushing offense only once, which turned out to be his final year on campus. 

In other words, the Jaguars will run the ball, and they have the personnel to do so. 

Robinson set an undrafted rookie record in 2020 with 1,414 yards from scrimmage, while Hyde brings a physical downhill running style. 

Lawrence doesn't run as much as some of Meyer's previous quarterbacks. But this year's No. 1 overall pick is more than capable of orchestrating the offense and breaking a big run every now and again.  

Laviska Shenault Jr. could also play H-back when Etienne is lined up as a traditional tailback. Shenault falls on the opposite side of the spectrum in that he's a wide receiver who runs like a running back once he catches the ball. Robinson could add some depth as well after grabbing 49 passes last season. 

Meyer expressed his excitement on 1010XL 92.5 FM JAX Sports Radio about how many options he has: 

"I think you need complements. I just love great backs. And at Ohio State, we had Zeke Elliott, Carlos Hyde. And right now, we have James Robinson—who is a stud—and Carlos Hyde, who I have a great history with. So we have two big, downhill backs—and they can do other things, too—but I think Travis is he's that dual."

The Jaguars can mix and match personnel to keep opposing defenses on their heels, yet Etienne should be the focal point. 

Comparisons to Harvin are natural, but the rookie back should be able to do even more in the Jaguars offense. Etienne could develop along the lines of the Carolina Panthers do-it-all back Christian McCaffrey and New Orleans Saints tailback Alvin Kamara as long as the Jaguars maximize his ability.

Jacksonville already started to do so by making Etienne a positionless performer who can be an effective weapon in the run and pass games. 

"I feel like it's going to help me maximize my opportunity, maximize my skill set, so I feel like Coach knows what he's doing," Etienne said. "He's doing what's best for the team and I feel like it's going to work out really well."

       

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Heading into the NFL draft, Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department ranked Travis Etienne as the fourth-best running back available. But the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected the Clemson star with the No. 25 overall pick, used him as a wide receiver at rookie mini-camp over the weekend, according to Andy Staples of The Athletic. 

The switch didn't come as a surprise, as head coach Urban Meyer told the rookie about the plan almost as soon as he joined the team. 

"Coach informed me that the very next day after I got drafted," Etienne said. "When I came out here, he brought me into a room, asked me how I felt about it, and I feel great about it. I feel like it’s going to help me maximize my opportunity, maximize my skillset." 

Etienne posted 4,952 rushing yards throughout as career at Clemson but emerged as a dual threat with 48 receptions during his senior campaign. While there's plenty of promise, especially since he'll continue catching passes from his college quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, Meyer isn't sweating it if it doesn't work out as planned. 

"Right now we’re focusing on the fundamentals of wide receiver play, learning the offense from wide receiver,” Meyer said. “Like I said, worst case scenario is you have a running back that’s elite with receiver skills and best case scenario he’s a legitimate dual threat guy."

The Jacksonville Jaguars are being extra careful with franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

On Sunday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided the latest on the 2021 No. 1 overall pick on SportsCenter:

They've put him on a pitch count; they're not giving him any handoffs. The key is just for him to not be in any sort of traffic with defensive players flying around him. They cannot afford for him to get hurt, and their goal is to have him ready for training camp. That's the big-picture goal. Now, Lawrence can be ready for minicamp. He's feeling good—that's ahead of schedule. They were thinking it'd be later on in the summer, but he's been throwing for the better part of the last six weeks now.

He's feeling good, so they had him do some dropbacks, a little light 11-man work, but nothing with any sort of traffic or congestion. I mean, this is a guy who hasn't even signed his contract yet. He's the future of this franchise, and so he's basically working under an injury protection letter that says both sides are good if he were to get hurt, they would still negotiate in good faith. Nobody wants that, though, because this is the guy. So they'll basically put him in a bubble but just let him throw the ball a few times." 

Lawrence underwent labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in February, but he was at least able to take part in some activities at Jaguars rookie minicamp.

Head coach Urban Meyer confirmed Lawrence was on a pitch count to limit his number of throws but noted the more important factor was to avoid any contact.

"They've told me the labrum is healed after three months, which it's been three months, but we can't have a guy on the ground," Meyer said, per Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports. "That's the biggest thing is we've got to keep people away from him. The pitch count is not as big as the fact as keeping him upright."

Lawrence is avoiding handoffs or even taking snaps under center.

Even with these limitations, he can still get an early look at the playbook while getting ready to take over the starting job from Week 1.

There are high expectations for the Clemson product, who was long considered the best player in the class after a brilliant collegiate career. Bleacher Report's Scouting Department graded him as a possible Hall of Fame talent entering the draft.

With that type of potential, Jacksonville can remain patient as he recovers from his injury.

In an offseason in which the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence to be the franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future, the main storyline surrounding the team currently is whether they'll sign former NFL quarterback and minor league baseball player Tim Tebow... as a tight end.

“I’ve leaned on my staff for that,” head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Saturday while discussing whether Tebow would be offered a contract. “And I imagine a decision is gonna be soon. … We’ll have a chat Sunday.”

In late April, Tebow worked out for the team at tight end. And Meyer—Tebow's former head coach with the Florida Gators—told Sunday Night Football's Cris Collinsworth last week that he was still making a decision on whether to sign Tebow:

He was in the best shape of his life. Asked to see if he could work out with a couple of our coaches. I wasn't even there. And they came back to me and said, 'Wow, this guy's in incredible shape.' Then I went another time and watched him try out. And they said, 'Go work on these things.' He comes back later, they try him out again. I'm not there. They come in and they said, 'Wow, you know, this guy's ball skills... He's a great athlete. He looks like he's 18 years old, not whatever he is, 33. And I said, 'Guys, you don't understand. This guy is the most competitive maniac you're ever going to talk to and let's give it a shot.' And I have not decided if we're going to do that yet or not. I'm getting close. I've gotta make a decision here pretty soon.

The possibility of Jacksonville signing Tebow has become a hot topic. On one hand, the former quarterback likely could have extended his NFL career had he been willing to switch to tight end sooner. 

“I think that had he changed (positions) many moons ago, he might now be playing his 10th year in the league,’’ former NFL scout and executive Gil Brandt told Josh Peter of USA Today. “He sure very well could have. He would have been very unique."

And if nothing else, his signing would drive intrigue.

Never understood vitriol aimed at Tebow but even more perplexed by last 2 days. Worst I've heard is he's taking a legitimate player's spot. Tebow is the best use for Jacksonville's 90th roster spot. Sell tickets. Get fan base excited. That "legitimate" player's not making the 53.

— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) May 12, 2021

On the other hand, Tebow hasn't played football since the 2015 preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles. His last regular season game in the NFL came in 2012 with the New York Jets. 

So the question becomes why the Jaguars would try to resuscitate the career of a 33-year-old who has spent the past several years playing minor league baseball when they likely could find a younger backup tight end with more recent experience who might actually help them on the field.  

The Dan Patrick Show Players Present: Dan Patrick as Tim Tebow and @MinaKimes as Coach Urban Meyer

For Mina's full appearance: https://t.co/oY2nctfT5j pic.twitter.com/HmX9FrBhXB

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 13, 2021

Maybe they won't. Maybe Meyer will decide he can upgrade the tight end position with another player. But the public "will they or won't they?" game Meyer is playing with Tebow has been a little bizarre, to say the least, making it feel as though Tebow's signing is inevitable despite the hemming and hawing. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have bigger plans for Travis Etienne Jr. than just playing running back in the NFL. 

Head coach Urban Meyer told reporters that the rookie out of Clemson did most of his work during Saturday's minicamp at wide receiver. 

Meyer added in a "best-case scenario" Etienne will be able to excel at receiver and running back. 

The Jaguars surprised many analysts by using their second first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft on Etienne. He is very familiar with Trevor Lawrence from their three years as teammates at Clemson from 2018-20. 

Etienne has an outstanding resume from his college years. The 22-year-old was named to the All-ACC first team in each of the previous three seasons and was named ACC Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019. 

After catching 17 passes in his first two seasons at Clemson, Etienne was a much bigger part of the passing game in 2019 and 2020. He had 85 receptions, 1,020 yards and six touchdowns in 27 games over the previous two years. 

If Etienne can develop as a receiver, he will give Lawrence another playmaker on the outside. Jacksonville already has Laviska Shenault Jr. and D.J. Chark as wideouts. 

Jaguars offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will be able to get more creative with his playcalling if Etienne can carry the ball 12-15 times and catch a handful of passes per game. 

If that happens, the Jaguars offense with Lawrence under center could be even better than the most optimistic observers are expecting in 2021. 

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence reportedly isn't expected to do much on-field work during the Jacksonville Jaguars' rookie minicamp.

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on SportsCenter, Lawrence is going to be "very limited" after undergoing labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder in February.

Fowler noted the Jags want to make sure the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick is ready for training camp and that "they're not too worried about this week."

Lawrence is reportedly "very eager" to work with head coach Urban Meyer after connecting well with him during predraft Zoom calls.

Fowler noted that Lawrence's impression of Meyer after speaking with him before the draft was: "Hey, this guy's a player's coach. We're going to go tear it up in Jacksonville."

It was long assumed that Lawrence would be the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft, even before it was known which team had the pick, which speaks to how dominant Lawrence was during his collegiate playing days at Clemson.

Lawrence went a remarkable 34-2 as a starter, leading the Tigers to the College Football Playoff in each of his three seasons as the starter. Lawrence also took Clemson to two National Championship Games, winning one of them.

In 40 appearances overall, Lawrence completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 10,098 yards, 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, while also rushing for 943 yards and 18 scores.

The Jags have essentially always lacked a true franchise quarterback throughout team history, but they finally have one who could go down as an all-time great in Lawrence.

Given how important Lawrence is to the present and future of the franchise, it comes as little surprise that the Jaguars are taking it slow and steady with him at this point in the offseason.

All signs point to Lawrence being the starter when the Jags take the field for their Week 1 regular-season game against the Houston Texans, but Meyer can afford to hold Lawrence back for now until things truly start to ramp up during training camp and the preseason.