The Steelers got a big upgrade at tight end in Pat Freiermuth, but would they have ever considered Tim Tebow as their third tight end?
These past two years have been a disaster when it comes to the Steelers tight end position. After a brilliant 2018 season from Vance McDonald, the veteran caught just 38 passes for 273 yards (7.2 yards per catch) in 2019. He was even worse in 2020 before his retirement as he had just 15 catches for 6.6 yards per catch in 14 games while grading out as one of the worst blocking tight ends in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
Eric Ebron was a slight upgrade over the aging McDonald, but he was far from perfect. Though he offered the team a boost in the passing game, he was still among the league leaders in dropped passes last year, and he really struggled as a blocker.
Recently, the football world has been up in arms about the Jacksonville Jaguars decision to sign former first-round pick Tim Tebow. The legendary college quarterback is currently listed as their third tight end on the roster. While it seems like a stretch to bring back a 33-year-old player who has been out of the league since 2012, is it that much of a stretch to believe the duel-sport athlete could make an NFL roster?
Tim Tebow probably made a mistake very early in his NFL career. He was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos to play quarterback, but after being unable to correct his quirky release and struggling with accuracy, it was suggested that he change positions. He probably should have done so after his second NFL season.
As an athlete, Tebow was quite impressive. At 6’3” and 236 pounds at the NFL Combine, Tebow had a blazing 1.55 10-yard split, a 38.5” vertical jump, and an eye-popping 6.66 3-cone. If he had been a linebacker, his size and athletic metrics would have compared favorably to players like Clay Matthews and Fred Warner, according to Mockdraftable.com.
Now, over a decade after his NFL career began, Tebow will finally be switching to tight end in an attempt to make the Jaguars final roster. This begs the question: could Tim Tebow have made the Steelers roster as the third tight end.
Why Tebow could have had a chance to crack Steelers roster
Whether you like Tebow or not, you certainly could not write this off as a possibility without giving it a second thought. Pittsburgh’s tight ends have been one of the worst position on their team since Heath Miller’s retirement in 2015. While rookie Pat Freiermuth should undoubtedly give them a boost, their third tight end spot is wide open at the moment.
Of Zach Gentry, Kevin Rader, and Dax Raymond, none of them have done anything so far in their NFL careers to warrant a roster spot or a role with an organization. While Gentry (also a former quarterback recruit) has incredible size at 6’8” and 265 pounds, he tested as a horrific athlete coming out of Michigan.
It’s not hard to believe that great athletes who know the sport very well could make a position change. Though Tebow certainly would have never worked his way up Pittsburgh’s depth chart, we would have to believe that – given a fair shot – he could have had a chance to make the roster as the team’s third tight end in 2021.
Of course, this is just a hypothetical scenario for the Steelers, but I’m astounded by the number of fans and media personnel who are up in arms about the Jaguars signing Tim Tebow. He looks to be in incredible shape, and we know that his work ethic is not an issue. Let’s at least give him a chance.