Tim Tebow is back in the NFL. And Chip Kelly’s offseason just got juicier.
The Philadelphia Eagles plan to bring in quarterback Tim Tebow and sign him Monday as they begin their offseason program, FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer reports. Multiple outlets later confirmed the report.
The Eagles are looking for a fourth quarterback for their offseason program. After spending time with Tebow’s quarterbacks coach Tom House, the Eagles are convinced he’s improved a lot, Glazer reports.
Tebow, who hasn’t played in an NFL regular season game since 2012, was brought in for a workout for the Eagles last month.
“I’ve always been a fan of Tim,” Kelly told NFL Network last month. “We bring in a lot of players for private workouts, it’s just he’s the one that everyone keeps talking about. We brought in Terrelle Pryor for a workout and Thad Lewis in for a workout. When players are available for you to work them out, it’s the same thing of going to the veteran combine or going to the super regional combine.
“It’s getting an exposure to a player so that when you have to make a decision and say, ‘Hey, what are we going to do now?’ you say, ‘I don’t know anything about these players. Let’s bring them in and work them out,’ and it may be too late at that point in time. So all we’re doing is just doing our homework.”
The Eagles traded for quarterback Sam Bradford earlier this offseason and signed Mark Sanchez to an extension. Matt Barkley currently sits third on the depth chart.
Tebow hasn’t played in the NFL since he was with the New York Jets in 2012. He was released by the New England Patriots before the 2013 season and spent last year working in television as an analyst for the SEC Network and ESPN.
Despite being out of the league, the 27-year-old Tebow remained one of the most popular players around. He has a legion of fans who follow him because of his strong Christian beliefs.
The former Heisman Trophy winner led Florida to two national titles and was a first-round pick by Denver in 2010. He started 16 games during two seasons with the Broncos, including a playoff victory over Pittsburgh in January 2012. Tebow was traded to the Jets after Denver signed Peyton Manning.
Tebow had some success in Denver, but his inaccurate passing and lack of pocket presence was an issue. His strength has been running the ball or improvising. Tebow has completed just 47.9 percent of his passes for 2,422 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has 989 yards rushing, a 5.0 average yards per carry and 12 TDs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
