Former New York Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow did not surprise anyone when he announced his decision to retire from baseball. It was clear that he did not have much of a future in the game, no matter how much the Mets kept putting him on the diamond. What was a surprise was that Tebow was not only attempting a return to the NFL, but that he was doing so as a tight end.
According to reports, that comeback is almost complete. Tebow is set to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars next week.
The #Jaguars are planning to sign QB-turned-TE Tim Tebow to a 1-year deal, per me and @TomPelissero, a deal that could be official in the next week or so. Nothing done yet. But he’ll have a chance to make the team to reunite with his mentor and college head coach Urban Meyer.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2021
Former New York Mets outfielder Tim Tebow returning to his first love
It is not a surprise that Tebow returned to the NFL. Likewise, it is not a surprise that he is attempting to return as a tight end. The surprise is the path that it took for him to get there.
When it became clear that Tebow was not going to have a future in the NFL as a quarterback, there was the thought that he should convert to either tight end or fullback. However, he refused to consider a position change at that point, playing his final NFL game in 2012. In between, he became a broadcaster, and made his infamous move to the diamond after a decade away from the game.
Tebow had his moments on the diamond. He homered in his first at bat at several levels, and was named to the 2018 Eastern League All Star Game. However, those successes were few and far between, as he ended his time in the Mets’ system with a .223/.299/.338 batting line in 1048 plate appearances, hitting 48 doubles and 18 homers while striking out 327 times.
Maybe this attempt to make a comeback will work out. He is reunited with his mentor and college coach Urban Meyer, who also was a minor league baseball player at one point. Frankly, it could not go much worse than his baseball career.
Tim Tebow was once the most famous minor league player in the game. The former New York Mets farmhand is heading back to the NFL.