Tebow’s comeback story ends with Jags cutting him

JACKSONVILLE, FLA. (AP) >> Tim Tebow’s comeback and NFL career are 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,” said coach Urban Meyer, who recruited Tebow to nearby Florida. “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. The polarizing player went viral for two botched attempts on the opening drive of the third quarter Saturday night, the second one more egregious than the first.

“He has a bunch of good plays but can’t have a bad play at that position,” said Meyer, who spoke to Tebow about the roster decision Monday night and again Tuesday morning.

Tebow also failed to record a catch against the Browns and got 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.

Meyer said he expects this to be the end of 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 nearly six years away from the game. The Jacksonville native responded on Twitter and thanked his hometown team 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 included 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.

Former and current NFL players criticized Meyer for giving Tebow a roster spot and pointed out a number of more deserving tight ends on the street. But many of Tebow’s teammates welcomed him with open arms.

“It’s still so cool,” said