Tebow Time! Can't kaep him down.

Kliq

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It really isn't though. Tebow is getting a shot out of a personal relationship for sure, but it isn't like he is getting a chance that some all-world TE is missing out on. If the Jags could have the option of Tebow or Travis Kelce, they wouldn't take Tebow because he is friends with Meyer. Tebow is getting a chance that some other not-quite-NFL-caliber players don't get.
 

koufax32

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He's also local hero in Jacksonville having "gone" to the same high school as Mack Jones. His participation in a camp and subsequent cut will be a huge local story and will drum up excitement for a season where the team is likely to still be pretty bad.
Minor nitpick but Jones went to Bolles. Tebow briefly attended Trinity Christian (10 minutes from his house) then Nease waaaaaaay to the south, presumably because of the offense they ran there at the time. IIRC, he was homeschooled, so his attendance was only for FB.
Back to the main point: he is universally adored in Jacksonville. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there were as many Tebow jerseys in the stands at practices as Lawrence.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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FWIW, Johnson is wrong. They changed this in the last CBA. Now, it only takes 3 years of service time to be fully vested. Since Tebow is already at three years, he gains nothing by coming back for more.
The article you cite seems to say that former 3-year players get reduced benefits. Looks like Tebow world be eligible for $20+K a year if he gets his 4th year, which over 50 years is not chump change. Language below.

Still, you should let DA from the DA show know since he went on a 20-ish minute rant about the pension yesterday morning. Twitter said Cowherd also brought up the point but I didn't hear that.
According to the NFL Alumni, average pensions for players will go from $30,000 per year to $46,000 per year, and more than 10,000 former players will realize that benefit.
The change from four years of credited seasons to three to become vested for a pension provides a $19,800 annual pension for life for former players with three years of NFL service but not four. That figure is expected to increase to $22,000 in 2025 based on expected annual NFL revenue growth. That affects an estimated 3,000 retired players.
 

Average Reds

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I would imagine a lot of people in a lot of industries have experienced nepotism.

I dont think it's a stretch to say that plenty of college athletes benefit from nepotism, too. It's not unique to the NFL.
Not to be a contrarian, but I actually think you have it backwards, in the sense that nepotism is essentially non-existent in the NFL. At least in terms of how players are treated.

The NFL is a ruthlessly unsentimental business*. With the exception of a handful of superstars who get to call the shots, players are treated as pure commodities and discarded like spoiled meat as soon as a team believes they can no longer help them win. And that very heartlessness is a big part of why Tebow’s treatment stands out.

*We often note, with approval, that Belichick’s MO is to discard players a year early rather than a year late.
 

Ralphwiggum

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The place in the NFL where nepotism is rampant and relationships are super important is in the coaching ranks. Look no further than Steve and Brian Belichick being employed by their father, to say nothing of the Shula's, Schottenheimer's, Shanahan's, Gruden's, etc. But with limited rosters and a salary cap I'm not sure you see it so much among players as noted above.
 

simplyeric

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The place in the NFL where nepotism is rampant and relationships are super important is in the coaching ranks. Look no further than Steve and Brian Belichick being employed by their father, to say nothing of the Shula's, Schottenheimer's, Shanahan's, Gruden's, etc. But with limited rosters and a salary cap I'm not sure you see it so much among players as noted above.
Eli to the giants was due to nepotism, no? Archie threw some weight around and managed to get him traded from the Chargers. If Archie hadn’t been involved, he would have stayed with the chargers.
 

koufax32

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If Tebow is on the roster, he can be Jacksonville’s Taysom Hill. Wasn’t Hill listed as a TE forever until the Great Fantasy Football Fiasco of 2020?
 

Ralphwiggum

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Eli to the giants was due to nepotism, no? Archie threw some weight around and managed to get him traded from the Chargers. If Archie hadn’t been involved, he would have stayed with the chargers.
Eli was the #1 overall pick, he wasn't taking someone else's roster spot due to Archie or anyone else's relationship with the Giants.
 

simplyeric

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Eli was the #1 overall pick, he wasn't taking someone else's roster spot due to Archie or anyone else's relationship with the Giants.
He was drafted by the Chargers, but Archie told them he wouldn't play there, and orchestrated/forced a trade which I don't think the Chargers would have done if Archie hadn't been so influential.
 

Ralphwiggum

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He was drafted by the Chargers, but Archie told them he wouldn't play there, and orchestrated/forced a trade which I don't think the Chargers would have done if Archie hadn't been so influential.
Yes but it's not the same discussion as we are having related to Tebow leveraging his relationship with Urban Meyer into an invitation to training camp. The Tweet above and subsequent nepotism discussion was in the context of Tebow leveraging a personal relationship into a camp invite that he (arguably) doesn't deserve. Manning did not leverage a personal relationship in the same fashion.
 

BusRaker

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Not to be a contrarian, but I actually think you have it backwards, in the sense that nepotism is essentially non-existent in the NFL. At least in terms of how players are treated.
Are you implying that Dan Gronkowski and Jason McCourty had an equal chance to go to the other 31 teams (roster needs aside)? Not to be a contrarian
 

simplyeric

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Yes but it's not the same discussion as we are having related to Tebow leveraging his relationship with Urban Meyer into an invitation to training camp. The Tweet above and subsequent nepotism discussion was in the context of Tebow leveraging a personal relationship into a camp invite that he (arguably) doesn't deserve. Manning did not leverage a personal relationship in the same fashion.
Archie Manning leveraged his relationship to the NFL to alter where Eli ended up. Man uses influence to son's benefit. I'm saying that's an example of nepotism. That's all I'm getting at.
Obviously it's not the same as the Tebow situation, and obviously this isn't a big deal.
 

snowmanny

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If Tebow is on the roster, he can be Jacksonville’s Taysom Hill. Wasn’t Hill listed as a TE forever until the Great Fantasy Football Fiasco of 2020?
Remember the time Tebow could have been Sean Payton’s Taysom Hill before Taysom Hill but wanted to be a QB and not an “H-Back”?
 

lexrageorge

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When one talks about nepotism in sports, the conversation starts and ends here:

41027

If Tebow is half as useful as a TE in 2021 as the owner's son was at "hitting", I would be shocked.
 

koufax32

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Remember the time Tebow could have been Sean Payton’s Taysom Hill before Taysom Hill but wanted to be a QB and not an “H-Back”?
Yep, and I bet Hill’s success has made Tebow regret that decision in hindsight.
 

djbayko

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Archie Manning leveraged his relationship to the NFL to alter where Eli ended up. Man uses influence to son's benefit. I'm saying that's an example of nepotism. That's all I'm getting at.
Obviously it's not the same as the Tebow situation, and obviously this isn't a big deal.
Archie didn't leverage his relationship with the NFL. He leveraged his family's threat to hold out and wreak havoc upon the team if they dared to draft him. They could have done the same thing if their last name was "Whipple". Archie probably had the experience to know how to navigate the situation and recognize that they had such power in the first place, but I wouldn't consider that nepotism.
 

Average Reds

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Are you implying that Dan Gronkowski and Jason McCourty had an equal chance to go to the other 31 teams (roster needs aside)? Not to be a contrarian
Can you show me an example of any NFL player who washes out of the league at one position and is then signed to try out for another position 8 years later?

Honestly, I don't care much one way or another. I was simply pointing out that the reason his signing is attracting so much attention is because there are no comparable examples. Even among the myriad players (like the two examples you gave) who have been brought in for a look as a favor to someone in the organization.
 
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HriniakPosterChild

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When one talks about nepotism in sports, the conversation starts and ends here:
Your example is outstanding, but John-Henry Williams has to get an honorable mention. Wiki: Dubbed "The Kid's Kid" by the media, John Henry had his father's build but little of his baseball talent: after just two games (where he failed to get a hit in six at-bats), he broke two ribs crashing into the stands in an attempt to catch a foul ball, ending his season.
 

koufax32

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Your example is outstanding, but John-Henry Williams has to get an honorable mention. Wiki: Dubbed "The Kid's Kid" by the media, John Henry had his father's build but little of his baseball talent: after just two games (where he failed to get a hit in six at-bats), he broke two ribs crashing into the stands in an attempt to catch a foul ball, ending his season.
He did, however, get ahead in his career.
 

BusRaker

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Can you show me an example of any NFL player who washes out of the league at one position and is then signed to try out for another position 8 years later?
Does fiction count (and another sport)?
? 41031
Who has the movie rights to this signing?
 

Phil Plantier

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Jaguars roster is at 90 players now. I'm predicting a boomlet in fame for whoever gets released when Tebow gets signed.

Won't make up for the $1,500 a week (and free meals and free coaching) that player won't earn for the next few weeks, but it'd be something.

Would Hard Knocks pick the Tebow Jags over the Cowboys? Would Shad Khan accept a Hard Knocks invite, even though the Jags aren't required to participate due to a first-year coach?
 

scott bankheadcase

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Jaguars roster is at 90 players now. I'm predicting a boomlet in fame for whoever gets released when Tebow gets signed.

Won't make up for the $1,500 a week (and free meals and free coaching) that player won't earn for the next few weeks, but it'd be something.

Would Hard Knocks pick the Tebow Jags over the Cowboys? Would Shad Khan accept a Hard Knocks invite, even though the Jags aren't required to participate due to a first-year coach?
I wonder if Hard Knocks goes for the niners because of the Jimmy G/Trey Lance thing and the fact that the niners have no exceptions and would be forced to do it (even though Lynch and Shanahan have publicly said they'd hate it).
 

Cotillion

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I wonder if Hard Knocks goes for the niners because of the Jimmy G/Trey Lance thing and the fact that the niners have no exceptions and would be forced to do it (even though Lynch and Shanahan have publicly said they'd hate it).
This is the real reason Bill spent all that money on the Free Agents this year. If the Pats don't make the playoffs, he can be forced into it next season.
 

mauf

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Archie Manning leveraged his relationship to the NFL to alter where Eli ended up. Man uses influence to son's benefit. I'm saying that's an example of nepotism. That's all I'm getting at.
Obviously it's not the same as the Tebow situation, and obviously this isn't a big deal.
Nepotism refers to favoritism towards one’s own family members. It’s a good descriptor of the familial coaching hires @Ralphwiggum lists. It doesn’t really apply to either the Manning or Tebow situations.

Hiring your friends and former associates ahead of more qualified alternatives is cronyism. That’s what Meyer is doing with Tebow.

The Eli Manning situation is something else. John Elway pulled basically the same maneuver 20 years earlier to avoid going to Baltimore. It mattered that Eli’s family was rich; he doesn’t have the same leverage if he can’t credibly threaten to sit out a year. (Elway had similar leverage because he could’ve played baseball.) It probably didn’t matter much that Eli’s dad was a former NFL player and his older brother was already a star.
 

Marciano490

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It really isn't though. Tebow is getting a shot out of a personal relationship for sure, but it isn't like he is getting a chance that some all-world TE is missing out on. If the Jags could have the option of Tebow or Travis Kelce, they wouldn't take Tebow because he is friends with Meyer. Tebow is getting a chance that some other not-quite-NFL-caliber players don't get.
Part of the problem with this - especially compared to Kaep’s situation - is that white dudes are going to have disproportionately more “personal connections” like this. It’s that structural inequality thing.
 

snowmanny

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Without breaking a sweat this guy could have had a coaching career, a broadcast career, a political career, a motivational speaking career, a spokesman career, maybe an actual H-Back career until he picked one of the other careers.....instead wtf has he done? Baseball? Back to football at this age? It all looks ridiculous to me.
 

j-man

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I wonder if Hard Knocks goes for the niners because of the Jimmy G/Trey Lance thing and the fact that the niners have no exceptions and would be forced to do it (even though Lynch and Shanahan have publicly said they'd hate it).
it shouild be arizona or denver
arizona because or murruy watt star power
denver because they can be fored to it might make the nfl force them to find a owner quicker
 

BaseballJones

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Without breaking a sweat this guy could have had a coaching career, a broadcast career, a political career, a motivational speaking career, a spokesman career, maybe an actual H-Back career until he picked one of the other careers.....instead wtf has he done? Baseball? Back to football at this age? It all looks ridiculous to me.
Well....he wants to be a professional athlete apparently. Pursuing his dreams until it's a "No...final answer." Nothing wrong with that (if that's what he's doing). He still has tons of time for all those other things if he wants them.
 

luckiestman

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If Brock fucking Lesnar can go from the WWE to Vikings camp without playing ball since HS I think Tim Tebow (one of the greatest collegiate players of all time) getting a look with his hometown squad and former college coach is not that big of a deal.
 

kelpapa

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If Brock fucking Lesnar can go from the WWE to Vikings camp without playing ball since HS I think Tim Tebow (one of the greatest collegiate players of all time) getting a look with his hometown squad and former college coach is not that big of a deal.
I'm guessing you know this, but he was also a D1 NCAA championship wrestler and runner up his junior year to Stephen Neal. He was a freak athlete.

I also don't really care much about Tebow getting a camp invite one way or the other.
 

mauf

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Garth Brooks got a Spring Training invite from the Padres in both 1998 and 1999. Supposedly he was the first guy on the field and the last guy off each day, and GM Kevin Towers felt that having a guy who had a greater net worth than the rest of the roster combined demonstrate that kind of work ethic was good for his young players to see.

It’s possible Urban Meyer has a similar motive. If that’s the case, however, I doubt Tebow is in on it. Unlike Brooks, who had to know he had no shot, I’m sure Tebow’s goal is to make the team. At any rate, Meyer’s head-scratching decisions since taking the Jags’ job don’t entitle him to a presumption he’s playing 7-dimensional chess with this move; it’s entirely possible this is just dumb.
 

luckiestman

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I'm guessing you know this
I do. I just find it very odd how worked up people are about Tebow. He is a low mile 33 year old. That’s not that old. If he had been getting his body wrecked for the past 10 that’s a different thing. If he could have switched to an H back 10 years ago, why can’t he do it now?
 

reggiecleveland

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I believe religion is the root of all evil, and USA evangelicals are currently the most dangerous. From that worldview I hope Tebow does nothing with his undeserved opportunity.

edit: Yes I recognize by bias is unfair.
 
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