The prodigal son may indeed be returning home.
Jacksonville native Tim Tebow, soon to be shipped out of Denver, supposedly says he wants to play in Florida. And one of the teams in Florida reportedly is very interested in making that happen.
Michael Lombardi of NFL Network reports that the Jaguars have “serious interest” in trading for Tebow.
Given that G.M. Gene Smith is widely believed to be a non-believer in Tebow, it’s safe to say that the interest comes from, well, on high. New owner Shad Khan has said he would have drafted Tim Tebow in 2010. Now, Khan has a chance to put his money where his mouth is.
And in turn to make a whole lot of money.
If the deal goes down, there will be plenty of awkwardness in the locker room. Last week, Smith gave Chad Henne a $3 million signing bonus to serve as Blaine Gabbert’s backup. Two years ago (almost to the day) Henne made waves by proclaiming that Tebow “isn’t an NFL quarterback.”
An ownership-driven decision to force Tebow onto the roster also could drive a wedge between Smith and Khan. Already, we’ve caught wind of rumors that the two men aren’t clicking the way they should -- and there’s talk in league circles that Smith may not be around after the draft concludes.
If Tebow time comes to Jacksonville, Smith may not want to be.