Tim Tebow was handed another chance in the National Football League on Tuesday when the New England Patriots signed the quarterback to an undisclosed deal.
The Patriots did not reveal the terms of the contract but it was expected Tebow would be the team’s third-choice passer, behind starting quarterback Tom Brady and his back-up Ryan Mallett.
A polarizing figure, Tebow’s brief NFL career appeared to be in jeopardy after he was traded by the Denver Broncos then released by the New York Jets in the previous seasons.
By joining the Patriots, Tebow, 25, will reunite with his former coach Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator at New England.
McDaniels had been head coach at the Broncos when Tebow, a former College football star who won the Heisman Trophy in 2007, was drafted as a first-round pick from the University of Florida.
When he finally got his start in the NFL, Tebow took the Broncos on an improbable run to the 2011 playoffs, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers before losing to the Patriots, despite criticism and reservations about his ability as a passer.
He also quickly become a cult figure. Deeply religious and with a clean-cut image, he became a magnet for sponsors, signing a range of massive endorsement deals.
He earned him an estimated $4 million a year, his jerseys were among the biggest sellers in the NFL and his trademark touchdown celebration, where he kneeled down in prayer, became known as “Tebowing.”
In early 2012, the Broncos signed future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning after he had become a free agent, and traded Tebow to the Jets.
The Jets said they planned to use Tebow on their special teams and ‘wildcat’ plays, but the experiment failed and Tebow-Mania never quite took off in the New York.
He spent most of each game stuck on the bench and the Jets eventually released him after missing the playoffs.
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