Philadelphia Eagles Rumors: Tim Tebow Could Return To Solve Team’s Offensive Struggles
The Philadelphia Eagles have been struggling on offense, and a new rumor points to an unlikely person to help turn things around — Tim Tebow.
Tebow was the surprise pickup this offseason, with coach Chip Kelly signing Tebow as what first appeared to be an extra arm for training camp. But Tebow’s status with the team grew steadily, and at one point it appeared that Kelly might have designs to make Tebow a short yardage and two-point conversion specialist.
The project fizzled out as the preseason drew to a close, with the Eagles cutting Tebow.
But now the season has started and the Eagles have sputtered on offense, struggling so much that USA Today writer Chris Korman thinks Chip Kelly should give Tim Tebow a call once again.
Korman wrote that Kelly’s once high-powered offense has crashed back to Earth, that there is no longer anything special about the speed or the play design.
He believes a lack of mobility at quarterback is a major reason.
A major reason for that is that Bradford is absolutely no threat to run. Not with those knees. The read-option is gone, and so is the moment of hesitation it can create in even the most disciplined of defenses. You’ve become predictable. Last year you’d at least let Nick Foles or Mark Sanchez lumber forward for a few yards now and again; that hasn’t been the case with Bradford, whose athleticism seems to have survived multiple ACL injuries but not his bravado. He seems to understand he should stay put.
Korman noted that Tim Tebow wouldn’t fare well as a conventional, inside the pocket quarterback, but said Chip Kelly could find some creative ways for Tebow to run out of the Wildcat.
The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the only team rumored to be interested in Tim Tebow. A could of other teams struck by the injury bug — the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys — have been connected to Tebow, though neither team appears to have actually reached out. The Cowboys are sticking with Brandon Weeden in the absence of Tony Romo (and have traded for veteran Matt Cassel as a bit of insurance), while the Steelers went with Michael Vick when Ben Roethlisberger went down.
The Philadelphia Eagles rumors connecting the team to Tim Tebow may have lost a bit of steam after Sunday. After a few weeks of stagnant offense, the Eagles opened up against the New Orleans Saints, scoring 39 points.
Sam Bradford threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns, and said he thinks Sunday’s game could be the start of a new and stronger offense for the Eagles.
“After what we were able to do in the preseason, everybody has been waiting for this,” Bradford said (via ESPN). “It’s a great feeling. Now, we have to build off it.”
The team’s running game is clicking as well, with DeMarco Murray moving past the horrible performances of his first few games. On Sunday he ran for 83 yards.
“There’s a lot of playmakers on offense, a lot of new parts,” Murray said. “I think everyone is getting a feel for each other.”
Tim Tebow seems equally settled in back at his old job as an analyst with the SEC Network.
Having some fun in Knoxville with #SECNation pic.twitter.com/YleU9tysfp
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) October 9, 2015
If the team continues to click on offense, it’s likely the pressure on Chip Kelly will lessen. That’s especially true if the Eagles can stand out in an NFC East right now mired in mediocrity. But if the struggles continue or the Philadelphia Eagles are hit by any injuries, the rumors about Tim Tebow may end up growing larger.
[Picture by Rich Schultz/Getty Images]
