It took less than 24 hours, but “Tebowmania” is back.
After the Jacksonville Jaguars announced the signing of former quarterback Tim Tebow to a one-year deal on Thursday, the top five selling items at NFLShop.com were all Tebow’s No. 85 Jaguars jerseys on Friday. According to Action Network, Tebow is the only player to have had a best selling jersey — for at least one day — in five different uniforms.
That’s right. The quarterback turned tight end, who last appeared in an NFL regular season game in 2012, has the most popular jersey in the NFL one day after entering into an NFL contract.
There have been many questions surrounding the Tebow signing — former players and media members alike have questioned why he’s getting another opportunity when quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains out of the league — and many analysts and media members believe his addition will do more harm than good.
“The Jacksonville Jaguars and Urban Meyer don’t need any stunts, they don’t need any gadget plays, they don’t need anything to bring attention to their teams, they don’t need anything to get the attention of the fans. That’s why you have Trevor Lawrence,” ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said on “Get Up.”
“Why would you want to bring that traveling circus to your town with all eyes, all the talk about Tim Tebow, who at age 34 can’t be a major asset to a football team?”
The answer to Kiper’s question is pretty clear today.
The top selling jerseys on the NFL Shop website are Tebow’s men’s jersey, women’s jersey, men’s t-shirt, women’s t-shirt and youth t-shirt.
At https://t.co/jHuhn4vMsP today, the top five selling items are all….Tim Tebow items. pic.twitter.com/k2wdJvX5lQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 21, 2021
The NFL is a business, and after a year in which revenues declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Jaguars owner Shahid Khan is betting big that his business will get a boost from the Tebow signing.
Tebow has long had a cult-like following, and his mere presence on the roster will bring much needed attention to the Jaguars organization.
His position switch to tight end is one that’s been discussed for quite some time. According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, Tebow refused to switch positions in 2012 after an NFL team expressed interest in him.
After his failed experiment with the New York Jets, Tebow reportedly was steadfast on playing quarterback in the NFL, leading to his inability to be signed to an NFL roster. After his first stint in the NFL, Tebow tried his hand at baseball, spending time in the New York Mets organization and becoming an Eastern League All-Star while playing for Double-A Binghamton in 2018. He announced his retirement from baseball in February.
The 33-year-old former quarterback joins a roster with seven total tight ends on the depth chart, and it remains to be seen whether the former Heisman trophy winner will be on the opening day roster. He’ll be reunited with his former college head coach, Urban Meyer, and could be catching passes from the number one overall pick in Trevor Lawrence in the fall.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to [email protected].
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.