When the Philadelphia Eagles signed free agent quarterback Tim Tebow a week ago, the move could be interpreted in a number of ways. That says more about Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, who was given full roster control earlier this offseason and has wielded that power in unexpected ways, than it does about Tebow, who was last seen on the field as part of the New England Patriots’ training camp in 2013.
Eagles vice president of personnel, Ed Marynowitz, said of the signing last week that “We saw a player who improved from the last time we saw him live, which was when he was here with New England. We had some conversations and some discussions, and we felt that it was an opportunity to bring in someone who could compete for a spot.” The Eagles had worked out Tebow earlier this offseason prior to signing him as their No. 4 quarterback.
But the odds of Tebow climbing the Eagles’ depth chart seem slim, especially given the comments of fellow Eagles quarterback (and former New York Jets teammate) Mark Sanchez on Friday. Sanchez, taking batting practice with the Philadelphia Phillies, said “[Tebow’s] obviously a great guy, he works hard. And we needed another guy to throw while Sam’s [Bradford] still recovering. So that’s the reason [for the signing], at least as explained to me. We’re excited about the upcoming year and I think we have a great group,” according to CSNPhilly.com.
Expected Eagles starting quarterback Sam Bradford continues to rehabilitate from his second ACL tear, which he suffered in the 2014 preseason and costed him the entire year. That means the Eagles needed another quarterback to throw in minicamps and training camps, when rosters can balloon to 90 players.
Tebow is not known to be a good practice quarterback, something that prevented him from earning the Jets’ starting job in his one year with the team. So, it’s going to be difficult for Tebow to supplant Bradford, let alone leapfrog Sanchez for the team’s primary backup job. Camp arms are just that—quarterbacks to throw to the third and/or fourth string receivers as the team gets its offense installed. Rarely do those players make a team’s 53-man roster; even more rare is the occurrence of camp arms making it all the way to starter in the course of one summer.
Tebow may be one of the NFL’s biggest lightning rods. The signing certainly brought additional attention to Kelly’s Eagles. But the media attention won’t determine Tebow’s spot on the Eagles’ depth chart nor affect his odds to make the final roster. Sanchez wasn’t led astray when he was told Tebow is only in town because they needed another quarterback to run plays in offseason practices. This is a utilitarian signing, albeit one that comes with a unique set of baggage.
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