Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer explained why he gave Tim Tebow a chance during an interview Thursday with Rich Eisen.
Meyer has previously confirmed that Tebow approached him about working out for the team, Pro Football talk reported.
“And I showed up, and I left,” Meyer recalled to Eisen.
“On purpose. You know, and our G.M. was there, our tight end coach, and our offensive coordinator were there. And they put him through a workout, they came back to me and said, ‘My gosh, this guy’s in incredible shape. He’s a big athlete. Our tight end room has been struggling.'”
“They gave him some things to work on, and then they brought him back … They came to me and said, ‘I think we should give him a shot.'”
How’d @TimTebow end up part of the 90-man @Jaguars roster?
Honest insight on how it all went down from @CoachUrbanMeyer today:#NFL#DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/HHumGYg4fs
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 3, 2021
Meyer was also asked about the possibility of Tebow making it onto the team’s roster and it’s definitely unclear. (RELATED: Ian Rapoport Says It’s ’50/50′ If Tim Tebow Makes The Jaguars)
“And what’s the percentage of making the team?” Meyer said to Eisen.
“We don’t know. This is uncharted waters. This is gonna be very difficult. But he’s been doing great. He’s been doing great in practice. He’s learning the offense. As you can imagine, he’s working as hard as anybody. I see a good camaraderie amongst the team with him, and it’s been good so far.”
Tebow signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars as a tight end on May 20.
“I want to thank the Jaguars for the opportunity to compete and earn the chance to be part of this team,” Tebow said in a statement.
“I know it will be a challenge, but it is a challenge I embrace. I am dedicated to taking the direction of our coaching staff and learning from my teammates. I appreciate everyone’s support as I embark on this new journey.”