Is the NFL done with Tim Tebow?
Has Tim Tebow come to the conclusion that his NFL days are over?
There were conflicting reports Friday about the feelings of the quarterback’s inner circle, with ESPN magazine’s David Fleming reporting that members of Tebow’s camp are “privately admitting that the NFL run is probably over,” and a source close to Tebow telling NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, “It’s not true.”
Regardless, the New York Jets parted ways with Tebow last month, and there doesn’t seem to be much interest from any of the league’s other 31 teams.
Earlier this month, retired Jacksonville tackle Tony Boselli told the Orlando Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi that, although he likes Tebow personally, the quarterback’s chances of hooking on with a team are hurt by his “crazed fans.”
“What team wants to bring a guy who’s a developing player onto their roster when he’s going to be a complete distraction -- through no fault of his own -- and become a disruption in the locker room?” Boselli said on the Open Mike radio show. “It becomes all about that -- whether he [Tebow] is going to play, whether it’s going to work -- and the rest of the team is saying, ‘We’re trying to win ballgames.’ I feel bad for Tim because I don’t think it’s all his fault. It’s outside circumstances and people who are making it tough on him.”
Quarterback coach Steve Clarkson worked with Tebow for a couple of days in February – at the request of Tebow’s agent – and believes “if given the opportunity with a team, he could make good.”
“You look around the landscape, I can see plenty of spots where he could possibly play,” Clarkson told The Times on Friday. “But they’d need to get him into a camp with a solid [veteran starting quarterback], where he can get his feet on solid ground and let nature take its course.”
But even Clarkson concedes the chances of that happening aren’t great.
“Let’s just say I’m hopeful,” Clarkson said. “He deserves a shot. But at this point, it’s anyone’s guess.”
ALSO:
For Vince Lombardi, the first Super Bowl ended in a tie
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will undergo back surgery
Compare Tiger Woods’ swing through the years with helpful GIF
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.