The Jacksonville Jaguars do not want Tim Tebow. Get over it.
I know the connection is convenient. Talking heads on ESPN have force-fed us the narrative for years. Even those of us who avoid First Take like the plague can’t completely block out the nonsense.
“He’s a hometown hero!”
“He’ll sell tickets!”
“He’s a winner!”
Stop it. Just stop.
New Jaguars general manager David Caldwell made the franchise’s approach to Tebow rumors clear during his introductory press conference on Jan. 10.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where he’d be a Jaguar,” Caldwell said of the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner. “Even if he’s released.”
Two NFL teams have released Tebow since then, and as far as we know, nobody from the Jaguars has contacted the guy. I doubt any NFL team has made him an offer to play quarterback since the Patriots cut the former Gator on Aug. 31.
But after the rebuilding Jaguars suffered an ugly 28-2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the Tebow trolls re-emerged, chirping their flawed and baseless rhetoric.
Tebow will not fix this team. The only remedy is a mix of time and smart draft picks. There is not an overnight cure.
For instance, Jacksonville’s interior offensive line is atrocious, and it’s not getting better anytime soon.
Slam Blaine Gabbert’s pocket presence all you want, but not even Peyton Manning could consistently stand strong behind that offensive line and produce.
Now don’t misconstrue this column as a defense of Gabbert. He has struggled mightily since his rookie season.
But as bad as the former Missouri Tiger has played, at least he doesn’t generate a messy media storm every time he gets out of bed in the morning. His failures are quiet and under the radar, only briefly mentioned in weekly NFL power rankings.
Meanwhile, ESPN treated Tebow’s 25th birthday like a national holiday.
Did SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi read birthday tweets to Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady on air on those quarterbacks’ birthdays? Nope.
Insane popularity does not breed success. It usually sets you up for failure.
Even if Tebow did miraculously get something out of the Jaguars’ offense, he wouldn’t do much to help a defense with a subpar pass rush and a secondary greener than grass.
During Tebow’s lone season as a starter, Matt Prater and a stout Broncos defense repeatedly bailed out a punchless offense. Expecting a similar formula with the Jaguars this season is ludicrous.
But hey, he might sell a few more tickets, so go ahead and bring in a quarterback no better than Gabbert or Chad Henne but much more polarizing.
Speaking of tickets, Jacksonville’s 96.8 percent average home capacity in 2012 bested both Green Bay and Pittsburgh.
Maybe they should sign overrated local favorites with little to offer.
If Tebow really does offer a potential attendance boost, why shouldn’t the former Gator join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the Miami Dolphins?
Both franchises failed to outdraw a 2-14 Jaguars squad last season.
A bad team in one of the NFL’s smallest media markets averaged 64,984 fans per game. The Fins averaged 57,379, and the Bucs averaged 55,102.
And Jacksonville is the NFL team in Florida with an attendance problem? Give me a break.
Adding a quarterback who cannot possibly live up to the hype that accompanies him is simply a bad investment.
The only way to fix the Jaguars is to build a strong, consistent winner.
Signing Tebow would only hamper the rebuilding process. Thankfully, Caldwell and owner Shad Khan know that.
Tebow will not be a Jaguar. Stop perpetuating an overblown and ridiculous myth. Just stop.
Follow Joe Morgan on Twitter @joe_morgan.
Tim Tebow throws a pass during warm-ups before a preseason game against the Detroit Lions on Aug. 27. The New England Patriots released Tebow on Aug. 31.
