Opinion: If Tim Tebow is ever going to reconsider the NFL, the time is now
When another former Florida coach went to the NFL and tried to win with his former Gator quarterbacks, it didnāt work.
But Steve Spurrier was trying to replicate the style of offense that worked so well in Gainesville, and the "Fun-n-Gun" wouldnāt work in Washington for Danny Wuerffel and Shane Matthews.
This, however, could be different.
Tim Tebow hasnāt played baseball for 17 months, and back in the summer of 2019 he was batting a buck-63 with the Metsā Triple-A team in Syracuse. It appeared his baseball fling had topped out the previous year in Double-A, where he hit .273 but with too little power to justify his too many strikeouts.
Last year was a COVID-induced washout that claimed the entire season for minor league baseball. And now Tebow is 33, awaiting spring training with the Mets and what figures to be his make-or-break moment in a baseball career that first took root five years ago. Yes, time flies.
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Before that, his football career dead-ended when it became apparent he just didnāt have everything NFL coaches want in a quarterback ā most notably, he didnāt have an NFL arm. His dream of building an NFL career was done, and nothing could change that.
Or could it?
Assuming you havenāt already, take a look at Taysom Hill during Sundayās Saints-Bucs playoff game. Officially listed as a backup quarterback, Hill lines up all over the field as a very important and useful weapon for the Saints. Even at 33, at least for a while, maybe that could be Tim Tebow.
Sure, thatās been true of Tebow for many years, even before you ever heard of Taysom Hill, but itās especially fun to consider now because Urban Meyer just took over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tebowās former college coach, whom he stills holds in the highest esteem, is now an NFL coach in Tebowās hometown.
Tebow kinda-sorta downplayed the idea in a late-week interview with TMZ Sports.
āObviously, me and Coach are so close and weāve talked about a lot of different things over the years,ā he said. āBut for me, Iām super excited about spring training. So thatās where my focus, kind of sports-wise, is right now. But are you kidding me? I loved playing for Coach and will always be supportive of him.ā
Did anyone hear a āno wayā in there?
Reportedly, when the Patriots brought Tebow to preseason camp in 2013, Bill Belichick was considering using Tebow in the Swiss Army Knife manner the Saints have so successfully employed with Hill. But Tebow stubbornly held onto his QB dream, which eventually saw him awaken as a minor-league outfielder.
Unless something clicked over the past 17 months and heās suddenly capable of consistently putting wood to professional pitching, Tebow and the Mets might be done by the time the Jagsā spring mini-camp is called to order in April. If itās ever gonna happen, itāll happen with Urban Meyer and Jacksonville.
Tebow should be well rested, he hasnāt taken a hit in years, and given his off-field reputation, figures to be a very young 33.
And after several decades of watching professional football, I can assure you heād never have to try hitting a curveball.