JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Tim Tebow's NFL comeback is over.
The Jacksonville Jaguars waived Tebow on Tuesday, parting with the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner who switched from quarterback to tight end in hopes of rejuvenating his pro football career.
"We knew that was an uphill battle for Tim," coach Urban Meyer said. "Players loved him, locker room loved him, but it was the right thing (to do)."
Tebow's blocking ranged from awkward to awful in Jacksonville's preseason opener against Cleveland on his 34th birthday. He failed to record a catch Saturday night and played no snaps on special teams.
Meyer said Tebow's play lacked consistency, especially in tackling. And if Tebow were going to make Jacksonville's 53-man roster, he needed to be a special teams contributor.
"He has a bunch of good plays but can't have a bad play at that position," said Meyer, who spoke to Tebow about his decision Monday night and again Tuesday morning.
Meyer said he expected this to be the end of the road for Tebow's playing career.
"I would guess it is," Meyer said. "We didn't get that deep with it. Obviously he's his own man, elite warrior, elite competitor. But he's also 34 years old."
Tebow was shielded from the media circus that followed him during other NFL stops and never publicly addressed his return after nine years away from the game. He responded on Twitter and thanked the Jaguars for a chance.
"Thankful for the highs and even the lows, the opportunities, and the setbacks," Tebow wrote. "I've never wanted to make decisions out of fear of failure and I'm grateful for the chance to have pursued a dream."
Tebow opened training camp as Jacksonville's fourth- or fifth-string tight end after switching positions this year. He was trying to return to the NFL after spending the previous five years in the New York Mets' organization. He hit .223 with 18 home runs and 107 RBIs while never making it to the big leagues.
He asked Meyer for a tryout after retiring from baseball in January. Meyer obliged and ended up giving him a one-year contract worth $920,000, the minimum for a player with three accrued NFL seasons. The low-risk deal includes no guaranteed money, so Tebow had to make the team to earn a dime.
And that was always the uncertain part. Jacksonville entered camp with three tight ends essentially locked into roster spots: run-blocking specialist Chris Manhertz, fellow veteran James O'Shaughnessy and fifth-round draft pick Luke Farrell.
It quickly became clear that Tebow was less of a pass-catching option than Tyler Davis, a sixth-round selection in 2020, and second-year pro Ben Ellefson.
And his lack of experience and prowess on special teams made Meyer's decision a relatively easy one.
"It's special teams," Meyer said. "This whole roster management is really critical as we journey here through the next two weeks. Two of the special teams phases are tackling, and he's never tackled. ... We expect to be very good on special teams. Tight end and tailback, if you can't contribute on special teams, that's a tough go."
Denver selected Tebow in the first round in 2010. He led the Broncos to a playoff victory in his second season, but never developed the consistency to be a dependable NFL quarterback. He also failed to stick with the New York Jets, New England and Philadelphia.
The Jaguars also waived cornerback DJ Daniel, placed defensive tackle Daniel Ross on injured reserve and waived/injured receivers Josh Imatorbhebhe and Tim Jones.
