The reaction from many on the Left to Tim Tebow’s reported contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars was exactly as you’d expect.
Ian Rapaport of NFL Network reported Monday that Tebow will be signing a one-year deal with the Jaguars later this week or next, and will be reunited with his college coach Urban Meyer.
While many are excited to see the return of “Tebow Time” to the NFL — he hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2012 — it was clear that some NFL players were not thrilled, and multiple stars publicly implying race may have played a factor in the signing.
Dez Bryant, who was out of the league in 2018 and 2019 before signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, voiced his concerns over the signing on Twitter on Monday. It doesn’t take much to read between the lines on where Bryant is going with this.
So Tebow haven’t played an NFL game in damn near a decade and it’s that simple…no hate but you got to be kidding me
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) May 11, 2021
Bryant, after receiving backlash on Twitter for his original tweet, elaborated on his stance, tying in Colin Kaepernick. For those who need a refresher, the widely accepted narrative on the Left and in sports media, is that Kaepernick has been denied a spot in the NFL since 2016 due to his social justice activism, most notably his insistence on kneeling during the National Anthem.
“Regarding my last post… I knew it would cause controversy and that was just to get your attention….. this is not a slight at Tebow. I’m happy for Tebow and want to see everyone succeed… I am saying to wake up and see what goes on and take care of yours… Pay ATTENTION to what goes around US and look deeper in between the lines… This is why I preach unity in black society and taking care of US ..lifting each other up…It’s more than getting together and running routes and casually linking up its about truly connecting to build and create. Controlling what we can control and building our community…”
Bryant appears to imply in his message that white players are given special opportunities due to their connections and — among other things — their skin color.
Bryant — a former all-pro receiver — is the biggest athlete to speak out on the signing, but he certainly hasn’t been the only one.
Steelers Linebacker Devin Bush was incredulous that Tebow was signed before Kaepernick, saying he was now looking forward to playing the Jaguars.
😂😂Tebow got a job before kaepernick. Wait til we play Jacksonville💤💤💤💤
— Devin Bush ll (@_Dbush11) May 11, 2021
Adwale Ogunleye, an 11-year NFL veteran said the signing “is an insult.”
As expected, the Leftist sports media also got in on the action.
Howard Bryant, a senior writer for ESPN, said Tebow’s signing was the result of white privilege, claiming “he has not earned the right to be signed to an NFL roster.”
And for people who refuse to confront maddening academic terms like “privilege” and “benefit” and “systems,” Tim Tebow is benefiting in real time from this entire dynamic. If we can generally agree he has not earned the right to be signed to an NFL roster, why accept that he has? https://t.co/dgxqioVYS6
— Full Dissident (@hbryant42) May 11, 2021
Another reporter for Bleacher report implied the same.
Tim Tebow has gotten to fail at being an NFL QB, a minor league baseball player and an NFL TE—at age 33 despite never playing the position
And YET … I don’t even gotta say it pic.twitter.com/HbDwPS4PEs
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) May 10, 2021
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.