Eagles' Chip Kelly on Tebow: 'I've always been a fan'

by
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Tim Tebow hasn't played in an NFL game since 2012, but that didn't stop the Philadelphia Eagles from bringing him in for a workout recently.

However, Eagles head coach Chip Kelly downplayed the workout's significance in an interview with NFL Network's Steve Wyche at the NFL Annual Meeting in Arizona.

"I've always been a fan of Tim," Kelly said. "We bring in a lot of players for private workouts, it's just he's the one that everyone keeps talking about. We brought in Terrelle Pryor for a workout and Thad Lewis in for a workout. When players are available for you to work them out it's the same thing of going to the Veteran Combine or going to the super regional combine.

"It's getting an exposure to a player so that when you have to make a decision and say, 'Hey, what are we going to do now. You say, I don't know anything about these players. Let's bring them in and work them out, and it may be too late at that point in time.' So all we're doing is just doing our homework."

Tebow, the 25th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft, went 8-6 in two seasons with the Denver Broncos

The Digest

Philadelphia Eagles sign Tim Tebow

by theScore Staff
Matthew Emmons / USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Tim Tebow may be getting one more shot at an NFL career after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Need to Know

  • The Eagles worked Tebow out last month, and were reportedly interested in signing him if they found a way to trade depth QB Matt Barkley. They haven't, but signed Tebow anyhow.
  • Eagles head coach Chip Kelly endorsed Tebow last month, saying of the much-maligned QB: "I've always been a fan."
  • A glance at Tim Tebow's career timeline reveals one of the more up-and-down career paths in recent memory.

Further Reading

  • The Denver Post's Mike Klis believes Tim Tebow may have a place as a specialist in the City of Brotherly Love: "Ordinarily, I'd say Tebow's chances of claiming an Eagles' season-opening roster spot are remote. But if the league adopts a 2-point conversion enhancement next month, his chances increase." [Denver Post]
  • MMQB's Peter King doesn't think Tebow will be a distraction: "Did you ever hear Bill Belichick or Robert Kraft or Tom Brady talk about Tebow being a distraction in 2013, when Teboe was on that team for the whole of training camp? No. That's because he wasn't one. He was cut because he's not an accurate passer." [MMQB]
  • Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman says the Tebow signing is all about Chip Kelly's giant ego: "The Eagles will downplay this signing, saying Tebow is just a body for the offseason. But this move is more than that for Kelly. What Kelly likes to do is prove conventional wisdom wrong. No one enjoys this more than him." [Bleacher Report]
  • Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirier doesn't believe Tebow can help the Eagles: "We do know that Kelly sees things that most of the rest of us do not. That's good sometimes and awful in others. In this case, it will most likely be harmless and meaningless." [Philadelphia Inquirer]
  • For the Win's Chris Chase gives Kelly and the Eagles some credit for what he considers a low-risk transaction: "The move will be met with derision and contempt. It's another sideshow in Philly, they'll say. What's next, bring (Ron Jaworski) out of retirement? But what, exactly, is the harm? [For The Win]
  • ESPN's Phil Sheridan suggests the Tebow addition might be the final sign that the Eagles aren't planning to draft a QB: "The (Marcus) Mariota speculation won't die until he's holding up another team's jersey on draft night. But the Tebow signing certainly seems like a sign that Kelly doesn't expect to get a deal done." [ESPN]

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