Tim Tebow Should Still Be In The NFL, Urban Meyer Says
Tim Tebow deserves to have a job in the NFL today, the enigmatic quarterback’s college coach said this week.
Urban Meyer teamed up with Tebow for a pair of national titles at the University of Florida, a time in which Tebow also won the Heisman Trophy. In an interview at Big Ten Media Days, the now-Ohio State University coach said he believes Tebow should still be on an NFL roster.
“I still don’t get that part of it,” Meyer said. “He’s the second-most efficient passer ever to play college football.”
Tim Tebow finished with the No. 2 passer efficiency rating in college football — his 170.79 was topped only by Sam Bradford’s 175.62 — but he struggled with accuracy in the NFL.
Though Tebow led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs and an unlikely wild card round win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he never again started in the NFL, as he was traded to the New York Jets to make way for Peyton Manning. There he languished on the bench, throwing just eight passes all season.
Tebow had one more chance after the New England Patriots picked him up for the 2013 preseason, but he was cut just before the season started.
Tim Tebow has stayed in playing shape in case a team suffered a quarterback injury and came calling for some depth, but instead he watched as quarterbacks like 41-year-old Jon Kitna got roster spots.
Tebow has had chances to play — with offers from arena football teams as well as a $1 million offer to play in Russia — but turned them down. He has also denied calls to move to another position like tight end or H-back, saying it’s quarterback or bust.
But Tim hasn’t given up on the NFL just yet.
“I’m training every day and feel like I’m the best that I’ve ever been,” Tebow told The Tennessean. “I still love it, love playing, talking about it, and I’m just excited about whatever the future holds. Who knows what could happen? But I’m excited about it, though.”
Urban Meyer said he thinks Tebow would still be a good fit, especially for teams with non-traditional offenses.
“He had really good personnel around him [at Florida] and we utilized his skill very well,” Meyer added. “I think in a traditional setting, it is difficult, but there’s a lot of non-traditional offenses now in the NFL.”
While he may not have an NFL roster spot, Tim Tebow still has a job in football. He has signed up as an analyst on ESPN’s new SEC Network, which launches in the fall.
