Tim Tebow To Pursue A Career In Professional Baseball

Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN broadcaster Tim Tebow is actively pursuing interest in a career in professional baseball, according to his agents Jimmy Sexton and Nick Khan. 

Tebow said he also plans to hold a workout for Major League Baseball teams later this month.

For nearly a year, the QB has been training in Arizona and Los Angeles to perfect his hitting and fielding skills in a sport he has not played on a full-time basis since 2005.

Tebow was an all-state baseball player in Florida that year and hit .494 as a junior, helping Nease High School reach the final four of the Florida state playoffs.

“Obviously we support Tim in his pursuit of a baseball career, as we have in all his ventures,” said Sexton, Tebow’s football agent, who is now working with CAA baseball agent Brodie Van Wagenen.

“Tim’s athletic ability, his work ethic, his leadership and his competitiveness were evident in football and will show in baseball. Knowing Tim’s passion and desire, we won’t be surprised by anything he accomplishes.”

Tebow, who will turn 29 on Aug. 14, has informed ESPN of his interest in pursuing a baseball career, although he will continue to meet his broadcast obligations to the network.

The QB had a tryout with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to this season, sources told ESPN’s Darren Rovell. A scout attended the workout, and the team displayed interest in Tebow afterward, the sources stated.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones took to Twitter to comment on the news:

Former MLB catcher Chad Moeller said in a statement via Tebow’s agent: “I am beyond impressed with Tim’s athleticism and swing, and it goes without saying that he has shown a high level of discipline and strong work ethic. I see bat speed and power and real baseball talent. I truly believe Tim has the skill set and potential to achieve his goal of playing in the Major Leagues, and based on what I have seen over the past two months, it could happen relatively quickly.”

Chicago Bears coach John Fox told ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson on Tuesday that when he coached Tebow, he was impressed with his competitiveness and with how “dedicated he was to life.”

All 30 MLB teams will be invited to Tebow’s workout at the end of the month. He has been preparing for this event for over one year.

“This may sound like a publicity stunt, but nothing could be further from the truth,” Wagenen said in a statement through Tebow’s agent. “I have seen Tim’s workouts, and people inside and outside the industry — scouts, executives, players and fans — will be impressed by his talent.”

In reaction to the news, the Schaumburg Boomers, an Illinois-based minor league team in the independent Frontier League, announced Tuesday that they have offered a Tebow a contract.

Tebow is currently a free agent, having last played for the New York Jets in 2013 and seeing his career stall ever since. In April 2012, the Jets released Tebow after drafting quarterback Geno Smith. He was selected by the Denver Broncos as the 25th overall draft pick in 2010 out of Florida, and only spent one season with them before being traded to the Jets.

Tebow signed a two-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Patriots on June 11, 2013, before being cut from the team on August 31, 2013.^[10] After two seasons away from the game, Tebow signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on April 20, 2015. He was released by the Eagles on September 5. He has served as a college football analyst on ESPN’s SEC Network since December 30, 2013.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 03: Quarterback Tim Tebow #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up on the sidelines against the New York Jets in the third quarter during a pre-season game at MetLife Stadium on September 3, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)