Tim Tebow looks to be getting his chance at an NFL comeback, after all.
The Jacksonville Jaguars plan to sign the former quarterback as a tight end, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Monday, after Tebow worked out for the team in April.
A deal between the two sides was not complete and is not imminent, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports’ Mike Jones. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because talks remained ongoing.
The signing serves as reunion between Tebow and Jaguars coach Urban Meyer, under whom the former star signal-caller won a Heisman Trophy in 2007 at Florida and led the Gators to a national championship in 2008. He also won a title with the Gators in 2006 as a backup.
“It’s very simple: If we believe that Tim Tebow can help us win a game, then we’d look into it,” Meyer told USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell last week. “And we’re not there yet. If it happens, that’s our decision behind it.”
Tebow, 33, has not taken a regular-season NFL snap since 2012, when he played sparingly for the New York Jets. After stints with the New England Patriots in 2013 and Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, he turned his focus to baseball. But after spending several years in the New York Mets’ minor league system, he retired from the sport in February.
As the Jaguars look to build around former Clemson quarterback and No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, tight end remains a spot at which the organization has devoted scant resources. Jacksonville selected 29-year-old Ohio State tight end Luke Farrell, another former Meyer pupil, in the fifth round of this year’s draft. James O’Shaughnessy returns as the leading pass-catching option at the position after recording 28 receptions for 262 receiving yards last season.
Yet it might be an uphill battle for Tebow to make it past training camp and onto the active roster.
“Obviously, when you start talking about a position he’s never played, or hasn’t played in a while, that’s pretty tough,” Meyer said. “So, we’re reviewing everything.”
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