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'Kaepernick still can't get a job': NFL blasted as Tim Tebow set to sign with Jaguars after 9-year break

Should Jaguars sign Tebow, it would be his first time on an NFL roster since 2015, and if he does make it to the field, it would be his first appearance in a regular season NFL game since 2012

NFL fans were in for a shock when it was reported that Tim Tebow might be making a comeback after spending nine years away from the field. According to the latest reports, the Jacksonville Jaguars intend to sign Tim Tebow as a tight end. It was NFL Network's Ian Rapoport who reported the news, sending all of social media in a frenzy.

In no time, people started debating why Tebow got a second chance with NFL while Colin Kaepernick still remains in exile. Despite having never played in the position before, there is a possibility that Tebow could sign a one-year contract with Jacksonville Jaguars. 

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While Rapoport clarified that nothing is official, it's expected that Tebow will reunite with the head coach of Jaguars Urban Meyer, who had previously coached Tebow at Florida. "The #Jaguars are planning to sign QB-turned-TE Tim Tebow to a 1-year deal, per me and @TomPelissero, a deal that could be official in the next week or so. Nothing done yet. But he’ll have a chance to make the team to reunite with his mentor and college head coach Urban Meyer," he tweeted.

It must be noted that Tebow has not played in an NFL game since 2012, in addition to never having played tight end. Should Jaguars sign Tebow, it would reportedly be his first time on an NFL roster since 2015, and if he does make it to the field, it would be his first appearance in a regular season NFL game since 2012. 

And that is exactly the bone of contention for many social media users and some NFL figures. Many pointed out that Tebow is getting a chance in the NFL with a new position following a long absence even before Kaepernick gets to see the light of day. And it definitely did not sit well with many. 

"Colin Kaepernick and Tim Tebow are both 33 years old. Kaepernick took his team to a Super Bowl and to an NFC Championship. Hasn’t been given another shot. Tebow has been a broadcaster since 2013. Was just signed by an NFL team in a position he has never played. See the issue?" one tweeted. Another user tweeted, "Tim Tebow being hired after eight years out of the league while Kaepernick continues to be effectively banned from playing is just... goddamn, what nonsense," adding, "And I'm not gonna argue with you fools saying he's not banned. You sound like clowns." One user said, "I don't ever want to hear another word about how Colin Kaepernick isn't good enough for another shot at the NFL."

"The blackballing continues...Tebow has an NFL job for a position he has never played in HS or college," a user tweeted. "It’s mind blowing to me that kaepernick has no job but Tebow does no hate toward Tebow just don’t understand," another tweeted. 

In November last year, reports started doing the rounds that Kaepernick was working out five days a week, hoping to return to the NFL. He has not played in an NFL game since January 1, 2017. Kaepernick had alleged that team owners have plotted against him after he kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality in late 2016. Tebow has also knelt during football games — an act that later earned the name Tebowing. He had claimed that it was "just something I did with a personal relationship with my God". He also stated, "I think when people believe in something and they stand for that, I don’t knock them for that."

At the same time, some thought the comparisons weren't right. "I don’t like these Kaepernick to Tebow comparisons. Remember, Colin Kaepernick was in the NFL until he protested. The entire NFL tried to give Tim Tebow every opportunity but he was so bad, literally every team said “nah”."

Former Jaguars player Benjamin Watson reportedly said that comparing Tebow and Kaepernick’s situations is a disservice to both of them. "I do think those are two different situations, I mean you’ve got a guy in Tim Tebow who clearly has a relationship with Urban Meyer and clearly has ties to the state of Florida," he said on USA Today, adding, "I mean, there’s so many narratives here that are countless when it comes to why he may be doing this. To compare him to Colin Kaepernick does them both an injustice. What happened to Colin was clearly a situation of the league not hiring him because of not only his stance — the stance wasn’t the problem — the reaction to it was the problem."

"The league did not want to deal with 32 NFL cities plus the global market raining down stones on the NFL because they hired a player who knelt during the national anthem because of racial injustice," Watson added. This explanation, however, failed to sit well with some users. "But no one will sign Colin Kaepernick because hE hASn'T pLayEd in ForEvER and He woUlD bE a DiSTracTioN," one mocked. Another said, "But Colin Kaepernick still can't get a job? SMH."